How To Thrive In Life's Toughest Seasons By Pastor Debra MortonExemplo

We’ve heard that time waits for no one, but more than that, at a certain age you may look back and see time has left you with some dreams that will never come true because the seasons have changed. Knowing that a season will not return without a miracle because the circumstances are different is a terrible feeling. To avoid experiencing this feeling of regret, make sure you are sensitive to life’s weather changes. Don’t wait until the sun is shining; sometimes you’ve got to move in the rain. After Hurricane Katrina, the storm was still raging, but we had to see beyond the storm. After about a month of helping everyone else feel secure, we had to ask God, “What’s next?” He led us forward, putting us back on the path to purposeful and fruitful ministry. My advice is, rain or shine, keep moving.

A biblical example of this is when Peter heard Jesus’ voice as He walked on the water. As He got closer, Peter barely could see Him but was willing to trust Him; he asked Jesus to allow him to walk toward Him on the water (Matt. 14:22–33). The lesson I receive from this story is that my faith must not only be in something but toward something, whatever that something is. We must be willing to go after it even though we can’t see where we are going. In the midst of uncertainty, we must keep our focus lest we begin to sink in fear. As the winds started to blow, Peter became afraid and began to sink, but Jesus caught him (vv. 30–31).

Peter had courage to get out of the boat, but not enough to keep walking. Friends, storms come with wind and rain. Success does not come without its challenges, but just know—if you’re being led by your inner-sight to go forward, keep walking. You may get wet, but the waters will not overtake you.

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For more on this topic, check out Debra's book Beyond the Storm here https://amzn.to/2H6q3of