Singing Through Your Storms

Each of our own personal storms can seem overwhelming and overpowering our lives. When the storms rage on and we are found within the middle of it, the storms seem to be never-ending. I feel like I am drowning and that I will never again breach the surface of the turmoil around me. I dove into a new devotional recently, as I am navigating new waters and a new sense of grief in my life. The devotional is titled "Singing Through the Storm" from the YouVersion app. The devotion walks through some major heart and head issues when it comes to troubled waters, grief, or whatever your soul may be going through. It grounds these devotions in scriptures and guides you through exercises and prayers to bring you through these storms knowing God is for you. 

This new sense of grief I have found myself wadding through is debilitating. When I find myself alone I find myself in tears. When I find myself in prayer I find myself asking and crying out "Why"? It is too difficult to put words to my grief now, but maybe someday I will have the courage and the strength to speak out about this storm, about this season. Right now I am a small tug boat navigating the oceans and making way through slowly but with eyes on the lighthouse as God ushers me back to the shoreline. 

The devotion today, brought an understanding to singing within despair, I wanted to share todays devotional today in its entirety. This is not my work but the faithful work of those who write and submit to YouVersion:
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"5 Stages of Growing Through Life Challenges" 

When we face life challenges, we must find a way not only to survive them, but in time, to actually grow from them. We must find a way to keep on keeping on, no matter how hard or painful life becomes. As a result, we can avoid getting "stuck" and live life in spite of our circumstances.                             

It is my prayer and hope that you will consider the following principles and apply them to your particular life challenge(s). It may be a difficult time in your life right now, and it may take a significant amount of time to make progress, but if you start right where you are, and just concentrate on taking the very next step, you will eventually be able to grow through your life challenge as well.        

                                                                                                                                         

Step by step...we can do this!   

1. Grieve the way you want
    -Know what to expect
    -Don't ignore your grief
   -Don't let anyone take your grief away form you
   -Run to Jesus
   -Be determined

2. Ask God "Why?"
   -When the pain is deep, "Why?" is the most natural question to ask
   -Jesus Christ asked God "Why?"
   -God does not own you an answer
   -Even if He gave you an answer, you would more than likely disagree
   -As we search for the answer, our goal is to develop a relationship with The Answer

3. Keep Living
   -Never use your life challenge as a crutch
   -Get out of bed every day
   -Keep up family responsibilities and relationships
   -Be grateful for those who are still in your life
   -Treasure the breath of life you have at this moment

4. Reach out to others
   -Remember the love, encouragement, and comfort you have received
   -Pass it on
   -It is extra meaningful to receive encouragement from others what are also hurting
   -Turn on your microphone
   -Have an outreach plan, and in reach plan, in necessary

5. Sing it loud and proud
   -Never waste your life challenge education
   -Take inventory of the treasures God has given you
   -Live a life of significance from this day forward
   -Rediscover your melody
   -Sing through the storm, like never before

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I pray that through my storm, that through your storm, through our storms; we are able to see the lighthouse beckoning us to keep our eyes upon the Lord and that we can Sing Through our Storms with one another. 

Words are powerful, words are healing, both spoken and unspoken words guide us back to the Lord. Set those words to the song of your heart and praise Him through the storm!

Blessings & Joy