Life’s Storms…
Unlike so much of the rest of our country that often deals with devastating weather, we Californians are excited when rain, and even storms, come our way. Our state is parched. So when a rain storm was predicted about a week ago, I was ready, having always loved to cozy up with a good book. And for most of the day, I loved hearing the rain...until nighttime came.
The rain was pounding on the roof and was so much louder than usual. So very loud and relentless. Still not completely adapted to being alone, I could feel my new friend, fear, creeping in. I did a lot of praying for peace, and I was reminded that I am not really alone. “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)
When I got up in the morning, I saw that our temporary patio cover had been destroyed. I prayed again for those affected so powerfully by the recent tornados in so many states. And I said a prayer of gratefulness that the patio cover was the only thing broken.
But that broken patio cover did represent shelter from the sun while our family visited outside during the worst of the Covid months. We gathered under it with heat lamps when it got colder. It stood for safety from the rain and our typical, California storms. It was a small reminder that we are powerless when storms come our way.
Celebrate Recovery’s Principle 1 says, “Realize I’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” (Matthew 5:3)
Those grieving are very aware of their powerlessness. Sometimes every day feels like a storm. The biggest lesson I have learned during grief is to stay connected to others. Celebrate Recovery provides a safe place with safe people for us to share any hurt, habit or hang-up.
Some questions have started coming in about joining grief groups. A good place to start is to contact a Celebrate Recovery in your area. Some CR’s are already offering grief groups, but you can start in a mixed issues group as well.
Go to celebraterecovery.com to find a list of churches across the country that have Celebrate Recovery.
How do you cope with life’s storms?