Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. // Matthew 8:26
The date had been scrawled on the calendar for nearly a month. RSVPs had trickled in. We were having an adults-only party for the first time since becoming parents. And then hours before our friends were to arrive, it began.
Was that dust on the window sill? Would they be repelled by our mismatched curtains? Had I prepared enough appetizers? Where was the wine bottle opener? What if somebody was coming that didn’t like another guest? My apprehension was building.
I could feel my insides starting to boil into an anxiety-fueled hurricane. My head was pounding, the blood was throbbing in my hands, and I felt like curling up into a ball. This party I’d been so excited for, I now felt like canceling because it all felt like too much.
As someone who has battled anxiety to some degree my whole life, this wasn’t a new situation. My storms often went unseen, fluctuating between calm periods and times of raging.
Our storms may look similar or be vastly different. Maybe yours includes marriage or other relationship struggles. Perhaps your mental health struggles go even deeper. At the mention of having a storm in your life, I am sure something rises to the surface of your mind.
These storms are real and can overwhelm us on our own. Invite Him in, let Him sit with you in your boat. The storms might not always be calmed the way we might wish, but it’s so important to realize His presence even as clouds threaten.
No matter what storm is flaring up in your life right now, be assured of His presence. We often expect Jesus to be doing something, but sometimes He is simply fully with us in our times of fear and struggle.
If you’re feeling lost in a storm this week, reach out to a friend and ask her to sit with you where you are. Write out “I am not alone,” putting it somewhere you’ll see it often. Take your turmoil to Adoration. And don’t hide in your fear or anxiety. He is there with you.
Author’s note: if you’re experiencing mental health issues, it’s okay and good to seek professional help.
He is there with you. // Sarah Ortiz Click to tweet
Sarah Ortiz is a Catholic convert, wife, and mother to five boys while living in a 200-year-old farmhouse in Western New York. When not folding laundry, she can be found reading, experimenting in the kitchen, keeping the family library, or snagging amazing antique furniture deals. She was a contributing author to Set a Fire. Find out more about her here.
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