Through The Storm, Transform!

Into The Storm.

I have heard it said in many cases, "Your direction out of the storm is not the same as into the storm". I have found this to be very true in my own experiences. When I think about going through a "storm", the word Transformation comes to mind.

Let me share a personal experience with you regarding our Transformation brought about by a storm!

In 2003, my family was facing a personal crisis emotionally, and figuratively speaking, we felt like we had "been thru the ringer" and were headed for a storm. We felt like circumstances had "swallowed-us-up" and we were on that proverbial merry-go-round of life. We were so-called, "living the dream" by everyone else's viewpoint. To others, we had it all. House was paid-for at 40, an established job with blessings too numerous to tell, everything seemed, from the exterior, to be going our way. We had the "Million-Dollar-Family", husband and wife with a son 9 and a daughter 4. What more could we ask for?

You see, we had become "comfortable" with our surroundings and "complacent" in our attitudes. Inevitably, we are often pushed out of our comfort zone in order to become vulnerable again. Life's hardships are often the anvil upon which The Master shapes His tools!

Little did we know that in September of that year our storm would hit.

A Tornado!

We lived on the East Coast of Maryland where Hurricanes are prevalent, but tornados, not so much. On September 17, 2003 Hurricane Isabel struck the coast of Maryland with force. We lived some 60 miles inland and, for the most part, escaped the worst of the Hurricane. However, lurking in the shadows of the unstable air masses between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, lay a silent beast, as a matter of fact, a beast with 2 heads.

Twin funnel-clouds descended from the anvil-head. One striking the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and her evil sister, contorted as she was, struck the far side of the Choptank River, the Eastern Shore. My back yard!

In the Midst of The Storm.

In a matter of seconds, our property was transformed into a "war-zone" as my wife called it. The evil twin had descended atop our 12' x 16' shed and turned it into tooth-pics. The shed was shredded into 3 sections, one third took out the back deck railing and kitchen window, one third took out the front porch, and the final third demolished 3 vehicles. Everything in the bowels of the shed was strewn across the lawn like some child had torn all of his toys from the toy-box and littered them across his bedroom floor. You know the picture. Pieces, like shrapnel, peppered the house siding, roof, and doors poking tiny holes in every surface you could imagine. We couldn't wait for it to end!

That night, at 11:05 PM, amidst the howling wind and rain pummeling the aftermath of the tornado. I began, for the first time, to understand what it meant to "have peace in the midst of the storm". In the midst of wandering around outside trying to pick-up the pieces of debris littered across our lawn, I was singing praises to the "Storm-Chaser" who can quiet the storm within while it rages all around outwardly. You know, the funny thing was, everything on the outside of our home was ravaged by the tornado, but everything inside was untouched. It was like the paradox of an inner strength that prevailed over the outward storm, Huh!

Please view the video below featuring "I Will Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns

Everything I had ever encouraged someone else by saying,

" It's not what happens to us that matters, but rather, how we deal with it that defines our Character"

or every time I had encouraged my children with,

It's not whether we win or lose, but how we play the game, that defines winners"

It all came home to roost, haunting my mind. Swirling around in my mind like the wind-tossed rubbish, these gems of truth returned to me while staggering around outside, through the mud and debris, of the wind-blown rainstorm. "Was I going to, in that moment, live-out what I had been professing for years?"

Out of The Storm.

comes TRANSFORMATION!

I have come to the acknowledgement that there's a time of building, of tearing down, and of re-building the vision in our lives. There is a time of preparation, if you will, before we can fulfill our purpose. I am an electrical/mechanical engineer by training and a problem solver by passion. In my Electrical training we studied sine waves when looking at AC Power and Power Factors. There is a parallel "sine-wave", if you will, in life that exemplifies the rise and fall of significance in our lives.

The Promise of the Future, is greater than the Pain of the Past"

We have to come to a point in our lives where we realize that our own desire of success, significance, and prominence has to "die" in order to allow God to "resurrect" His purpose for our life! If you want to transform your purpose, let the storms of life strengthen what has been birthed in you so that what He resurrects, after the storm, can sustain you!

It has often been quoted, "Mind Over Matter"

In essence, we cannot conquer in the physical what has not already been conquered in the mental.

The rest of our story.

My wife and I have come to the realization that we had to go through the "Storm" to come out the other side "Refined". Our home was rebuilt, better than ever, at no cost to us. Our automobiles were repaired and/or replaced with better ones. Our focus on eternal investments rather than temporal possessions was renewed. We began blessing and serving others out of our brokenness. We solidified the truth in our lives, "When every "thing" is taken from you, He is still God".

The message is not about Kim and I and our so-called "miraculous" recovery from a bad experience. Believe me, we have gone through nothing, I mean, nothing compared to what others have experienced and resurrected in Triumph!

The real story is that sometimes "Storms" enter our lives to help us focus on the ultimate priorities. As a matter of fact, I am convinced that they will, in order to "twist" our priorities to a refined purpose. I have heard it said that in the refining of Gold, one knows that all the "dross" and "impurities" have been removed, and purity has been reached, when you can see your reflection. My contention is similar except, we are refined, when others can see His Reflection.

The "Storms" are just the fire to bring His Image out in us!

Life is like a grinding stone, whether it polishes you up or grinds you to powder depends upon your Character"

So, in closing, do not run and hide from "The Storms" in your life, but rather, embrace them in such a way that they refine and purify your purpose. Tragedy comes to our lives in order to create a platform for suffering so that we can serve others to a greater capacity and elevate them upwards.

"The greatest and most beautiful flower blooms from adversity" ~ Mulan

If the Larva never Transformed there would be no Butterfly"!

Through The Storm, TRANSFORM!

I trust this article brings encouragement and healing to you today!

Rob Carroll,  Reliability/Productivity Engineer/LSSMBB