This morning, I watched a video someone sent me. It was the day after Hurricane Harvey hit our area. The electricity had been out, but we had invited anyone who felt safe to come to the sanctuary for worship. By the time we gathered, the lights came back on. The church doors stood wide open because the air conditioner hadn’t yet cooled the building.
The video showed us singing _Leaning on the Everlasting Arms_. Between verses, we read from Psalm 46. In that moment, the words were not just familiar phrases in our worship book. They were living truth for us: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
That day, we were grateful simply to have made it through another storm. Others in our community weren’t as fortunate. We faced the hard work of cleaning up at church and at home. There were things to repair, things to replace. That’s the reality of a storm's aftermath.
But we all know not every storm comes with thunderclouds and wind. Some storms are quieter but just as fierce. The storms of life that unsettle us and frighten us. And those storms often demand long, painful recoveries, too.
Whatever the storm looks like, one truth remains: God is with us. God walks with us in our trouble. Sometimes we wish that divine companion would be louder or more forceful. But notice God calls us to stillness. That stillness might look like a few deep breaths, a whispered prayer or a calming word that reminds us of God’s presence right beside us.
On John Wesley's trip to America from England, a violent storm broke out. Panic consumed nearly everyone on the ship except for one group. While the storm raged, a group of Moravians sang and prayed with peace in their hearts.
Wesley never forgot the calm witness of those Moravians in the middle of the storm. Their peace came from their Savior. May we also find strength in God’s presence when storms come. And may we never forget the moments when faith carried us through.
Stay blessed...john | 
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