Storm Season

 As I sit here thinking about hurricane season in South Georgia, it feels familiar. These storms called "hurricanes" head our way and my mind swims with the possibilities and outcomes that are unknown and scary, to say the least. Being surrounded by HUGE, OLD, Oak trees doesn't seem like the best place to be in storms of this magnitude...but it's where I live. I am trusting God while praying for angels of protection to wrap themselves around this house and our friends and family who could also be in the path of a hurricane this season. The familiarity of this feeling takes me to a place I have been--but in a very different situation...a broken marriage.

We ALL have storms in our marriage...we may have weathered them nicely and came out stronger on the other side. Some of us may have had huge "oak trees" crush our dreams as we lost everything. Some may be struggling right now to pray for angels of protection to wrap around their marriages. We are all in different places and points in our marriages...some great, some catastrophic storms of great magnitude; a hurricane. God has spoken to me through my anxiety and fear through these storms. As I pray for peace, safety, and sanity...it hit me that so many marriages have had to weather huge storms with HUGE oak trees looming over just waiting to fall and crush their dreams.

BUT THERE IS HOPE!! Weathering a storm...literally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually takes endurance and strength that can only come from one source...Jesus Christ!

2 Thessalonians 3:5 says: "May the Lord direct your hearts to God's love and Christ's endurance."

Are we weathering the storms of our marriages with the endurance of Christ? So many couples run in the opposite direction when faced with a storm in their marriage...evacuation seems like the immediate answer. Christ could have evacuated His storms at any time He wanted, but He didn't...he endured every grueling second of torture for you and me. So do we love our spouses enough to endure the storms when the easy thing would be to run? The Bible never says marriage will be easy. The Lord never promises that we will be hurricane free when we marry our spouse. But He does promise to be our refuge and strength during times of trouble.

Psalms 91:2 says: "I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."
2 Samuel 22:33 says: "God is my strong refuge; He makes my way perfect."
Psalms 9:9 says: "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble."
2 Samuel 22:3 says: "My God, my mountain where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence."
Psalms 46:1 says: "God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble."

So here are some things we can do to rebuild our marriages during or after the storm:

• Look at yourself. Ask the Lord to reveal any unclean things in your heart, mind, or life. Ask Him to show you where YOU need to change. It is a really hard thing to do, but so important. None of us are perfect...none of us are without fault. And none of us can change our spouse. We can only be responsible for ourselves. So work on you, and let God work on your spouse.
• Pray for angels of protection around your marriage and tell Satan to get under your feet! Satan is out to kill, steal, and destroy...and he would like nothing better than to drop a HUGE oak tree right in the middle of your marriage. PRAY FOR PROTECTION for YOU and YOUR SPOUSE. 
• Work on the clean up. After every storm there is always clean up. It may be earning back trust, asking forgiveness, humbling ourselves, swallowing our pride, taking a hard look in the mirror at our own faults...whatever it may be...work hard at making it right. You can't let your heart get complacent...it is a conscious effort every day to clean up your marriage.
• Get into the WORD (your Bible). Enough said...you can't do all the things above if you aren't striving to become closer to Christ and more like Him consistently. He is the ONLY one who can give us the endurance we need to weather the storms. 

REMEMBER, EVACUATION IS NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER! God can and will show up and show out! He will protect your marriage if you are committed to protecting it. Don't give up...weather the storms well, and see what God has in store on the other side. Don't rob God of the chance to fix your marriage...This storm could be the best thing that ever happened to your relationship! 

STAY SAFE OUT THERE!