Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
Nothing rocks your boat like a cancer diagnosis or a life-threatening crisis. You find yourself in the midst of a perfect storm.
In the movie, The Perfect Storm, even when the front of the ship was being battered, the skipper played by George Clooney, kept the boat moving forward right into the teeth of the storm.
I think there is a lesson here for us in our navigation of life’s storms. We should face our storms head on. When we turn sideways or retreat, we are liable to get swamped by waves of burdens, worries and fears.
How do we face our storms head on?
1) Don’t suppress fears and doubts.
If we have fears and doubts, we should acknowledge them and deal with them. Suppressing doesn’t really work anyway, does it? We can push thoughts down into our subconscious, but there they remain unresolved.
2) Find and grab onto a promise of God.
There is not one human struggle that is not addressed by a promise of God in the Bible. First and foremost, He promises His presence and His strength no matter what storms we face:
Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
3) Don’t mistake being positive with being strong.
Being positive can be a form of denial when we pretend we are strong when we are not. It is okay to be weak! Jesus said, “You can do nothing apart from Me” (John 15:5). And Paul added, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Don’t journey out into the deep alone. The strength necessary to fight a life-threatening crisis comes from God.
4) Share with someone who can support you.
During my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I found great relief when I accepted my own limitations. From time to time I would let down my guard and let people help me. I wish I had been more open with others – it would have been an easier journey.
Lord, teach us how to boldly face and navigate the crises in our lives – with You.
