An Umbrella in the Storm

Tuesday Morning Wake Up with Bryanna –

Have you ever sat in your car longer or inside the store longer or maybe at work longer, waiting to brave the downpour outside, without an umbrella? Not quite ready to take the plunge and step out into the wet, wind and rain. You brace yourself, give yourself a pep talk and try to get to your destination as fast as you can, stay as dry as you can. You may even try to cover yourself by your own means.

Now do it again, but this time with an umbrella. It seems a little less daunting going out into the storm when you have an umbrella to cover you. There’s not a need to sprint to the car, because your umbrella is keeping you dry. You have your eye on the car, and you don’t care about whats going on around you, the rain and wind. You stride out in confidence.

We may all be going through a storm of our own right now. Or maybe you just walked your way through one and you’ve made it to the other side. My hope is that you brought an umbrella with you, God’s umbrella. I sat in the car thinking just that while watching a storm, without an umbrella I may add. How much easier it is to be in the rain when you have an umbrella. When you know you’ll stay dry, you won’t ruin your new shoes or clothes.

Your focus with an umbrella becomes the next shelter, your running towards the covering and safety of warmth. Your focus isn’t the rain and the wind, you run straight to your shelter, confident you will stay dry. Without an umbrella you focus on how wet you are, how cold it is, avoiding the puddles and the rain as much as you can. Complaining about the wet and cold. Your focus becomes the obstacles and the storm. 

With an umbrella, you don’t play it safe, waiting for the storm to pass. We can plunge right in and keep running through it. Especially with the right umbrella. The right lens in which to look at the storm.

My umbrella in the storm is God. His love, protection, strength and wisdom is my umbrella. My shelter from life’s storms and challenges. He provides the covering I need, and the lens through which I see my storms, my obstacles and challenges.

I don’t see the circumstances through the world’s eyes, which lacks faith, strength and Him. The world focuses on the circumstances, the obstacles, the pain and the storm. I, as a child of the one true Father, focus on Him. It doesn’t change my circumstances, but it does give me a new lens in which to see the storm.

The obstacles are big, but His strength, peace, and wisdom is greater. His umbrella in the storm provides us the peace, strength, wisdom and JOY we need to take the storm head on and to get to the other side dry. It’s important to note, an umbrella in the storm doesn’t change the storm or circumstances, doesn’t stop the rain. An umbrella simply changes the lens through which you view the storm. It changes your focus when you know you have an umbrella. You know you have your covering. The rain doesn’t stop, but you stay dry.

The circumstances don’t disappear, but you become strong in Him. With JOY you wade through it, eyes up on your umbrella, thankful you have the ONE. Your own personal umbrella. So carry your umbrella always. Don’t leave it behind, because you never know when a storm is waiting for you. 

The question isn’t when will the storm come. The question is how you’ll weather it, and with what lens and equipment will you face it. Pack your umbrella this morning and every morning.

Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit