Take the World By Storm

I saw this sign on the chapel entry at Concordia University where Payton and Alexia are in their Regional Speech & Debate Finals. I'm sure it's referring to their team's name, The Tornadoes, but I believe the second connotation is to live our lives by taking this world by storm in our "can do" actions and attitude.

I had been thinking about the storms that have raged havoc in so many states over the last few weeks. What made me think that because I moved from Tornado Alley in Oklahoma, that they didn't have a Tornado Alley in Texas also?

The most notorious thing about Canton, TX to me was the First Monday Trade Days held there. They are the oldest, largest continually operating outdoor flea market in the United States. But now, Canton is also known for the devastating tornado that raged through there on Saturday night, April 29th. Homes leveled that looked like tinker toy pile ups, many lives lost and injured. A community in mourning because of the nightmare they experienced.

I'm well acquainted with living in "tornado alley". Over the years, we witnessed many tornadoes, as well as the aftermath. We watched our barn roof be taken off (yes, I said "watched"). The tornado worked its path down Keystone Lake and our home and acreage backed up to it. We took to our under-the-stairs closet for safety when the winds grew to such ferocious velocity. My husband's parents lost their home in a tornado, but they were safe in a bathroom shower stall. They came out with not a scratch on them.

A few weeks ago, my new home in Frisco encountered damage from a severe hailstorm with tornadic winds that hit the area. My kids and hundreds of other homes had damage also.

Bottom line -- that's why, on a daily basis, I've come to realize that I must stay connected to my survival source. "I dwell in the secret place of the Most High. I abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord He is my refuge, my fortress, my God in Him I trust." That's always my emergency 911 number. Psalm 91:1 that is. I pray and speak safety and protection to all of us in the pathway of storms -- whether they are weather storms or life storms. I pray and speak to the storm and tell it to cease and desist. (God's Word says we can do that: Mark 11:23 "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.") I quote my Prince of Peace's words as I speak to the storm -- "Peace -- be still." And, personally, MY peace is still.

But, here's what I surmised from that sign at the chapel here at Concordia University. We have the choice of being stormed inside and outside by the prevailing winds and storms in our lives -- those natural storms, as well as those we face in life's circumstances and adversities, or we can TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM by being in a conquering attitude to everything that comes to steal from us. We've been notified that WE WIN and "Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world," (1 John 4:4) and "We are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37).....so shouldn't we be on the offensive with the enemy of our souls rather than cowering down to his tactics that try to paralyze us with fear of what the storms can do to us. We can still make it through any and everything by finding peace in the midst of the storm by trusting in God's faithfulness. We might as well realize that storms, of any kind, are no surprise to God and so let's just TAKE THE WORLD ON BY STORM! After all we know the maker, creator and peace maker of the storms!