“I have strength for all things.”
What does life after the storm look like?
Recovery can be slow in the aftermath of a storm. We can stay sheltered inside, clenched and stuck. Or, we can let the storm’s refining fire melt the hard shell of hurt to make space for the seed of new to emerge.
Reflections on the true story of Jamie Goodwin
featured on this week’s God’s Word Gives Hope Podcast.
One day, living for self. The next day, living for Jesus.
One day, walking. The next day, wheelchair.
After two life-altering experiences within six months of each other, Jamie Goodwin faced another life-defining moment.
What would her mindset be moving forward?
Jamie sat beside the lake where she had surrendered her life to Christ one year earlier, but this time in a wheelchair. She hammered out the hard and “whys” of her situation with God.
The Spirit spoke into her spirit, “You don’t understand this, but I will use this for My glory. If someone asks you, I want you to share our story.” This message struck deeply, yet she chose to embrace an even greater level of surrender to God that day. It was a testing yet reassuring moment that set Jamie’s perspective for the rest of her new normal.
Carried. Resilience. New.
Jamie experienced being carried by God in literal ways that would never have been possible before her life after the storm, making the spiritual insight into how God holds us significantly real. (Week 1, Isaiah 46:3-4)
Jamie experienced resilience through the lens of what she did have over what she didn’t have. (Week 2, Habakkuk 3:18-19)
Jamie embarked on a remarkable journey through her transformed life with Christ. As she witnessed God intricately weave beautiful new threads of her story, born from the challenges of the storm, she realized how God had brought possibilities beyond her wildest imagination. (Week 3, Isaiah 43:18-19)
God’s Word was and continues to be one of the threads that mold Jamie’s perspective.
Jamie: While I was in rehab, someone gave me a picture frame with the verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, ESV).
I remember thinking, “Really? I can do all these things? Really? You will give me the strength to do this?” I have counted on God to be faithful to this promise, and He has.
Other verses I have relied on are:
-
- “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:23, NLT)
- “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” (Psalm 143:8, NLT)
- “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” (James 5:13, NLT)
Life’s storms come and go. No one can avoid them. But how we manage the aftermath will impact our lives as much as the storm itself.
Find comfort and encouragement from a sister storm survivor and her words as you navigate a season after the storm.
Steps To Navigating After The Storm
Jamie:
- If possible, don’t go through the storm alone. Surround yourself with a team of people who love Jesus and His people. We are not meant or even equipped to go through storms by ourselves.
- When you are alone, practice gratitude, cry out to God in prayer, healthily continue the grieving process, and begin to set some goals for your life (staying stuck will only keep you in the dark longer).
- As a counselor, I say find you a good one to help you process the storm.
There is much we do not know about what is to come after a storm, and there is even more we have no control over. But this we do know: God carries us, promises resilience, offers hope of new, and our perspective plays a role.
Jamie’s prayer for you:
I pray that,
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
(Psalm 107:28-30, NLT )
Amen.
Meditate: Christ strengthens me.
Reflect: What state do you find yourself in after a storm? What perspective do you typically have after experiencing a difficult situation? What perspective do you need God to grow you more in? – Carried? Resilience? New? Was there any part of Jamie’s steps you need to act on?
Deeper: (As you read through these additional verses, ask the Spirit to give you wisdom, and teach you more about how your perspective needs to change so you can better navigate the aftermath of the storm. Lamentations 3:17-26, Psalm 143, Philippians 4:4-13
Hear all of Jamie’s story with the coinciding PODCAST on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, IHeartRadio, and Podbean. Search God’s Word Gives Hope. LISTEN NOW or WATCH NOW
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(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation, ESV – English Standard Version)
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