See the Blessings in Your Storm

If you live on the east coast, Hurricane Matthew may have impacted you recently. My husband and I were very lucky and blessed during the storm. We came out with minor damage and mainly just a lot of yard clean up. But, many people had trees through their roofs, flooding, and windows shattered. My heart and prayers go out to those families.

I have heard some terrible storm stories, but I have also heard some wonderful blessings that have come from the aftermath. People have volunteered to bring food to those without power. Neighbors have helped each other clean up after the fact. Friends have offered shelter to each other. Sometimes we need to hear these stories to remind us of how fortunate we are to have one another.

Recently, I have been hearing stories about other storms—personal storms—that have brought blessings in the aftermath. One such story is about a young family who lost their child two months before his delivery date. The family was so distraught at losing their child that the father turned to alcohol. He started drinking more and more in a very short amount of time. His wife asked him to leave, especially because they had other small children at home. About a month later, the father decided to get help from his church and the couple started marriage counseling. Last I spoke with the wife, they have become closer and more intimate than ever, and are very happy. Of course, nothing could make up for what they have lost, but going forward, they have a very promising future and a stronger marriage and family.

Another story is about a woman who moved from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA for a new job. She bought a house, and six months later, she was laid off. The owner of the company was mishandling the profit, and he ran his business into the ground. The woman felt like she had nowhere to turn. It had happened so quickly and unexpectedly. She went on unemployment while she looked for a job. It took a while, but she landed her dream job at an advertising agency. She also met her future husband. If she hadn’t moved and been laid off, none of that may have happened.

I started thinking about storms that I have been through, and realized that in every case, I could see a blessing at the end. Even thinking about the worst situation I have been through, I can still see that something positive came from it.

We have to go through the storms in order to see the blessings. Imagine if we always got what we wanted? How boring would that be? Sometimes going through the storm is the blessing. We become better people because of them. They might make us stronger, more caring, or better people all around.