Weathering the storms in our area of Texas is a reminder of how thankful I am for the many blessings from God. Storms come. Storms go. The clouds part and the sun shines through once again. The air is fresh and clean. All the dirt, dust and pollen has settled. The same can be true of our lives, not just the weather.
Stressful things happen. We deal with the stress. The clouds in our hearts, minds and souls clear and we realize that God has been with us all along, come what may. If we can remain strong in our faith and trust in God to see us through the stressful times then we know those clouds will give way to God’s light in our hearts, minds and souls.
I’ve been through a fair share of stress in my life, some of it downright terrifying, but God always gets me through it. With each and every experience I grow stronger knowing I’ve been here before and I will be again and there is really nothing to fear. Fear can be controlled with Grace from God and perseverance on our part. I’ve read the Bible. I know how it ends. There is nothing to fear.
It’s been twenty-five years since God called me to convert to Catholicism and I am so grateful that I listened to Him. It is much easier for me to deal with stress and fear than it was before I had the Sacraments of the Church to sustain me. I’m calmer than I used to be. I am able to keep my head about me and deal with whatever happens when it hits the fan so to speak. It’s afterwards that I realize how scary it really was and that once again I got through it all with the Grace of God.
I am thankful for all of it and wouldn’t change a thing, even the scary stuff, because I am the person I am today because of what I have overcome with help from God. I’m a better person than I once was. I am not consumed by fear of ‘what if’ as I once was. It’s not that I am no longer afraid of scary stuff, it’s that I can function and work through it in spite of the fear. It’s how we handle the fear that reveals our true character and I was surprised to discover just how strong I am. God taught me that. All I had to do was listen to Him and do what he directed. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Sometimes life has to get so difficult that we realize we have absolutely no control over anything and we have to lean on God to survive. After that it starts getting easier to deal with the scary stuff. The one thing I am most thankful for is summed up in the image below. Jesus did this for me and I am profoundly thankful. God, help me show it better.
Rural Texas Knitter 