Just in case you missed it, last night was a stormy one for the south. In fact, I sat down to write this blog post in front of the TV just so we could keep up with the warnings. Just about the time I got everything ready to start typing, we were told to take cover. Not long after, Doug got a call from his father saying that our nice little town of 300 was mentioned on The Weather Channel. That’s not exactly the way I like for us to be recognized.
As we gathered up the kids and took them to our safe spot, I discovered that my sweet little Steven had been to the bathroom four times over the course of about 45 minutes because he was nervous about the storms. But, as soon as we all snuggled down together and Doug kept assuring us that it looked like everything was going to be fine, Steven calmed down. The girls joked and laughed and played with each other, and Steven just rested. I stayed cheerful and joked with the kids, and the more we teased, the less tense he seemed.
Meanwhile, all around, the storm raged.
It was loud. The wind whistled all around us. Hail hammered against the roof. Rain pelted the house. But my anxious little boy was able to smile. Why? Because he knew that if Mommy was right there with him and smiling, he was okay.
To be honest, this hasn’t always been his nature. In the past, even when I reassured him, he would stay tense and stressed. His little body would be tight and his heart would beat fast. Every muscle would be tense, and he’d cling to me. But last night was different. Last night I could still see that there was some worry in his eyes. But, he was more at peace. More trusting that I was telling him the truth.
So, what about me? Where did my peace come from?
You see, Steven comes by his stress honestly. His mommy has dealt with panic and anxiety for just about as long as she can remember. And, last night was the perfect opportunity to be anxious. Here I was with my three children, huddled down waiting for the storm rotation that was heading right for us. But, even though I felt shaky and uncertain, I still felt peace.
I’m learning, too. I’m learning to trust increasingly in my amazing Savior. And there is no better time to see that trust in action than in the middle of a storm. Because of my trust, my sweet son is learning to trust. Because of my trust, my precious girls could joke and laugh last night. And because of my trust, as soon as the danger past, all three of my children were able to go to bed in full trust that everything really was okay.
Contagious trust is a beautiful thing. It results in contagious peace. I know we can’t always laugh and joke through our storms, but we can radiate trust and peace no matter what is raging around us. And, believe me, someone will “catch” it from us. Someone will grow in their own trust and peace because of us.
I pray that you are growing in trust. And I pray that your growth is contagious.
Not Quite Ordinary 