I'm sure that all of us at one time or another have experienced some sort of storm with our spouse. If you haven't yet, just wait...you will. Some of the storms we weather with our spouses are mild fronts that pass as quickly as they come in. And yet sometimes those storms feel as though we are reenacting Hurricane Katrina within the walls of our own homes. It is inevitable that these storms will come but they also will pass. The questions to us are "What is the storm trying to do to us?" and "What can God do through this storm?"
These storms we encounter are not always the work of the devil. Let's not give him credit for what he has not done. Some of these storms God allows to come through. The purpose of these storms is not always trying to destroy us. Many times they are being used to help us see problems and rid us of potential dangers that can come around at a later time.
After the storm the other day, we can see the dead branches that fell. If not for that storm those branches may have fallen off later and injured one of our kids as they were playing. But because of the storm, our kids are safer. Our yard may look like a war zone but dangerous branches are now removed. What is hanging in your marriage that needs to be shaken loose and disposed of? That is the purpose of most of the storms we encounter.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, "This storm right I am in....it's about to rip me in two!!" That's a true statement. Some storms ARE trying to kill you and they come straight from the devil himself. But that is not to say that he will be victorious in his attempt. He may try to take you and your spouse out but God's plans supersede the devil's. What God is able to do through the storm cannot be quantified or seen on this side of the storm. What God can do (and will do) is ONLY able to be witnessed from the OTHER side. You can't see the potential, the possibilities, and the victory before or during the storm. It is only after the storm that the full power of the Almighty is able to be witnessed. One of our favorite gospel singers (Tye Tribbett) puts it this way, "Devil, if you only knew what I was gonna be AFTER the storm, you wouldn't have bothered me!!"
As we close for today, I (Josh) am reminded of a lesson that I learned a couple years ago while landscaping. I had been in landscaping for over 10 years and had never learned this. I had always thought that when you stake a newly planted tree that you should make sure that guy wires are taut to keep it straight. That is actually opposite of what should be done. When the tree is planted it should be reinforced with stakes to keep it upright when the winds come but not so tight that it cannot move. The arborist that taught me this said that if the tree is unable to move its base will be weak and frail and unable to weather even a slight storm later on its life. However, if that tree has some wiggle room amidst the stakes and wires, it may be blown around a little bit more but that movement and the effects of the wind will cause that tree to become thick and strong in its base and will not likely be uprooted by even the fiercest of storms.
So, we can either get mad and frustrated at the storms we encounter OR we can thank God for them and what they are causing to be exposed in and around our marriage. The storm can help to make you stronger by blowing on you or you can let it break you when you hold on to tightly. The outcome of the storm effect on our marriage is up to us.
Josh and Serena
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