Ken Gire - At Peace in the Storm: Experiencing the Saviors Presence When You Need Him Most

2014 by Ken Gire

Published by Bethany House Publishers

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Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

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Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Ebook edition created 2014

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ISBN 978-1-4412-6137-3

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Contents

Introduction:
Two Kinds of StormCalming Miracles

Introduction

Two Kinds of StormCalming Miracles

If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. Where there is a storm without, He will make peace within.

Thomas Watson

We all want the outer, measurable, touch-it, see-it miracle.

We want the child-turned-adult addict to come to the end of himself and head home, his prodigal heart humbled and ready to do whatever it takes to leave the pigsty.

We want spouses with wandering eyes and discontented hearts to break through their mental fog and wake up one morning with the realization: Ive been a fool! I was blind, but now I see. How precious you are! Ive hurt and mistreated you, and now Im going to love and cherish you forever and always.

We want the job to come through, our flaws to disappear, the cancer to go away. And sometimes, thank God, we actually see these miracles. God calms the circumstantial storm and we are relieved and grateful, as our furrowed brows relax and the knots in our gut give way to peace, blessed peace. Joy, unbounded joy. Its finally over. Our prayers are answered. The storm has passed. Weve got a testimony wrapped up with a bow, ready to take on the world.

And then there are those pesky chronic storms that linger long, that wear us down, that dont go away. Month after month, year after year, we look on the horizon for the Savior we thought we knew, the One who could walk on water and order the waves stilled and bring instant calm to our lives.

But heres the rub about faith (and most of us whove lived for a while, had a long marriage or lost one, or a few imperfect kids or grandkids, a betrayal or a personal failure, or any number of lifes disappointments, know it all too well): Prayer changes things, it calms things and us, it soothes and restores. But what things are actually changed or restored are not in our hands or under our control.

Though we long for the miracle of the outward variety, the only real guaranteed miracle God offers us is inner peace, the peace of Christ. A peace so deep that it cannot be analyzed or understood. It just descends on us even when everything else is falling apart, while the drug-addicted child does not come to his senses and continues to eat hog slop, the job offer doesnt pan out, the cancer rages, and the marriage is a hollow mess.

But Ill let you in on a secret. This miracle of the inner variety, this inexplicable and supernatural calm in the storm, is the greatest miracle youll ever experience.

Getting to a place of steady inner calm is not easy. Like any skill, it does get easier to put our auto-panic nature on pause as we learn, and practice, and grow in trust. But life is tough, we are human, and all of us get shaken. Sometimes to the core.

Even Jesus struggled when he was in Gethsemane and peace eluded him. But in that painfully horrific space of time, he eventually experienced calm. And though his circumstances did not change, and the cup he asked to be removed still awaited him, peace descended upon the Savior, and he faced his appointed mission with calm, grace, and courage.

If Jesus struggled in his darkest days to get from despair to calm, then we should not be surprised that the miracle of inner peace is a journey and a process for us too. And it is often two steps forward, one back. So we must be gentle with ourselves, especially when circumstances around us go awry.

Ive had my share of storms and despair, some out of the blue, some of my own making. Days when I didnt want to wake up to face another day of disappointing God, others, myself. Even as I write this book, I write to remind myself that there is that peace that passes understanding, even when I am caught in the grip of worry or waves of unworthiness. Ive experienced Gods peace before, and even if I reel or stumble today, tossed by a dozen white-capped waves, I know his calm will come again. I know Jesus will find me in this frightening, uneasy place, for I remember how he has shown up beforefor me and countless others.

He may choose to calm the outer storm or calm the inner me. Either is fine, as long as I get to that place of peace where it is well with my soul. That is the only miracle you or I really need, one day at a time.

The following chapters relate the many creative ways in which God brought peace, calm, and hope to me and many others through frightening, dark, and worrisome hours. I dont know how he will bring the miracle of peace to your heart. I only know that he promises to do it. And that is a good place to begin.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Peace Through Perspective

When a captain trusts a pilot to steer his vessel into port, he manages the vessel according to his direction.

Charles H. Spurgeon

A counselor in the Northeast United States was known to receive many a suffering soul who would come to him for help during a stormy season of life. Each would step into his office with the hope of finding a temporary lifeline of support.

After the initial welcome, he would settle in to a comfortable chair and offer his client a seat on the worn corduroy sofa. He began each session with a new client exactly the same way: He didnt ask what was troubling the person. He didnt unpack any deep childhood trauma. He didnt ask if he or she had been attending church regularly, and although they often reached that point, it wasnt where the session began. Rather, this wise counselor asked the one seeking help just one question : When have you encountered the holy presence of God?

He knew that those who are being battered about by lifes storms tend to set their eyes on the clouds, scanning the heavens for lightning. We search the waters surface for the next swell. Brace ourselves for the next surge. If we keep our eye on the storm, we figure well be able to extricate ourselves from the bind in which we find ourselves. Whether or not we can actually deliver ourselves from lifes storms, we desperately want to believe that we can.