He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name. Amos 4:13 NIV
I awoke to the sound of gusting wind and branches smacking our metal roof. I hate storms, particularly anything involving wind or lightning.
When I was a child, a tree had fallen on our house. Even though I had spent the night with my grandparents, who lived down the road, that accident created a domino effect of events that changed my life forever.
As the wind howled and prevented my return to Dreamland, I prayed and asked God to calm the storm. And if He wouldn't do that, then would He please calm this child.
For the next two hours, my mind drifted to my current WIP, the previous day's activities and the week ahead. For the most part, I didn't focus on the wind until it picked back up again, then I repeated my prayer.
These gusts of wind are nothing compared to storms others have endured, but they caused anxiety and sleeplessness in me. For me, for that moment, the wind was troubling. God heard the whispers because the wind died down at times, and I managed not to dwell on it.
Wind can be cool and refreshing on a hot summer's day. Or it can be devastating and wreak havoc. Even the strongest tree can crack if the wind is strong enough.
In my newest release, Season of Hope, Jake and Tori aren't strangers to the storms of life. They learn how adversity allows them to lean on God.
He stays constant, never bending or breaking. And no matter how small or heavy are the wind gusts in our lives, He hears every prayer, every cry of our heart. Sometimes we may think He can't hear us, but not only has He heard, but He's at work calming the storm...or the child.
Does howling wind comfort you or keep you from sleeping? How do you handle adversity in the storm?
Jake Holland’s peaceful dairy farm is a sanctuary—one he wants to share with other worn and weary veterans. He just needs one more piece of land to start his program...and it belongs to Tori Lerner, his ex-wife. A collaboration could benefit them both, but with a past full of secrets between them, is there any hope for renewed love?
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Wow, I like that, Lisa. "No matter how small or heavy the wind gusts are in our lives, He hears every prayer." That's lovely. As our problems, etc., writing and deadlines creep closer, He's always there. Thank you for that. It was very comforting.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Marie. You're welcome. I hope your debut novel launch has been a success for you. :)
DeleteThanks, Lisa.
DeleteLisa, I always pray God's protection during storms. Mother Nature can be so violent and destructive...which makes those storms perfect backdrops for a suspense story. I had a heroine in one of my books who feared storms, and I really enjoyed writing her story.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the heroine in your latest book is the ex-wife. A clever twist! Good for you!
Thanks, Debby. Weather makes for great story conflict. When I submitted my first proposal, the hero and heroine were separated, but it didn't work well for the story, so they walked on the page as a divorced couple.
DeleteLisa, sometimes storms can be comforting. Other times, terrifying. But we know, no matter what storm we're going through, whether it be outside or in our heart, God is right there beside us. Thank you for that amazing reminder.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the wind, except when the trees bend and break. Through life's storms I pray that I won't bend and break but be sturdy enough to with stand the wind.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I often think I would have gone insane on the prairie. March is my least favorite month because of the incessant wind. It's not so much that it scares me as the constant sound hums on my nerves. When it blows in a certain direction, it howls at my bedroom window. That keeps me from sleeping because it's so noisy.
ReplyDelete