2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Tough times come to all of us. After you have prayed, planned, and determined your course of action, circumstances change, obstacles appear, tragedy strikes, the unexpected happens, and your plans become obsolete. How do you gracefully adjust your direction in mid-stream when your situation changes, and your dreams are shattered? It happens, and when it does, we must be prepared. 

            The school year was going well (as far as I knew) with only a few bumps here and there. It looked like a successful year.  Christmas break came and everything changed. Among my coworkers and church friends, there were two suicide attempts and a nervous breakdown. In addition, I lost three staff members mid-term. It seemed everything was crumbling around me. I could feel panic enveloping me.  As I cried out to God for help, I instantly knew that He offered me a choice. “Will you choose panic or will you choose my grace? You can hide under my wing and be protected by the ‘Shadow of the Almighty’ or you can react out of panic.”

            I chose grace. This began a full semester of holding on to the horns of the altar waiting on God. I spent many hours waiting in prayer seeking God’s strength and direction. As I prayed with our school staff each morning, I encouraged them to choose grace. We held on tight to God’s hand each day. The boat rocked wildly for several months, but we made it with God’s grace. There were times that it looked like the storm would sink the ship. We even considered closing the school permanently. Nevertheless, God sustained us. The school year ended. All the people in distress were renewed and God made things beautiful again. 

            God is truly our shelter in the time of storms. He proved to be the rock where I could hide.  He is the “glory and the lifter of my head.” He is my All in All.  Gratitude and praise fill my heart even now as I recall His faithfulness. He will be faithful to you too when the storms come if you will chose grace rather than panic.

Dear God, Thank you for your grace. I thank you for preserving us through this unusual attack. It is true. Even the darkness is not dark to you. It shines as the day when you are with us (Psalms 139:12). I will always be grateful and changed because of this experience.