Bracing for the Breeze: How to Prepare for Life’s Big Changes

Recently tornadoes tore through our part of the country. Most of the time when major storms about to hit, we have a warning. We have the opportunity to prepare. It could be to take cover. We may even have enough time to leave and go someplace away from the impending storm. Hearing the whirl of a tornado siren, sends a chill up and down one's spine, especially when you know it is not a test.

Have you ever felt that way when you have a major change coming? I know I have. The uncertainty of what is next. The questions that riddle your brain. The thought that can be on repeat... is this the right decision? What if it doesn't work out? What if it does? That "what if" question can be like a tornado swirling. Whipping mass destruction in it's path. Just like a tornado sucking up anything and everything. The idea of making a change can do the same thing in my brain. I get so caught up in the "what if" questions sometimes. And then I am reminded that it will all work out. The calm after the storm.

Even when I am facing the storm of what seems like a lifetime, I have confidence that it will all be okay. It has been said that 'Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere.' It is time to choose trust over worry. No matter how good I think I am at multi-tasking, I can only do one thing at a time. Fear or Faith. Worry or Trust. I can be prepared for the breeze of change. I can brace myself. Just like when the tornado warnings are issued, we have time when life changes to refocus.

There was a man named David that comes to mind. He lived a couple thousand years ago. He was a shepherd boy who became a king. He was hand picked by God through Samuel to impart wisdom and reign over the people of Israel at the time. For outward appearances, he was good looking and seemed to have it all. One would think that as a chosen person of God, David was going to have an easy life. That was not the case. David faced difficulty after difficulty. In Psalm 55:12-23, David writes about one of the most painful battles of his life (v 18b). This particular Psalm refers to his closest friend, who ultimately becomes his enemy in battle. Relationships are hard. Sometimes are loved ones betray us. I have experienced this on a very deep level. The man I had entrusted my whole world to, ended up stealing my identity and was pretending to be me online. Dating sites were involved. Text messages were being sent. Strangers were showing up at my place of employment, which was a local coffee shop at the time, thinking that we were going to hook up. Relationships can be painful.

Change sometimes results from the pain and heartbreak. If you are involved in a conflict with a close friend or family member, God is an amazing source of strength and comfort. David talked to God, his most trusted advisor. And as a result verse 18 (AMP) he wrote, 'he has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me.' David continues to give advice: 'Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you' (v22a). Even when the tornado of life is swirling around us, we can see the calm when we focus on the one thing needed... Jesus.

Each day we are faced with choices. When those big changes are blowing in, being grounded in the one that can see you through no matter the strength of the winds is so important. It is my desire to be a place you can anchor in, that cement basement structure that you retreat to when life's tornadoes pop up. Please reach out. You are not alone, even on your most loneliest of times. Cast your burdens on the Lord and like David, turn to him for strength and trust that it will all work out