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Psalm 44 In Psalm 44, David lists all the terrible things that happened to Israel at that time and then says, “All of this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten You. We had not broken the covenant You made with us. Our hearts had not turned away from You. Our feet had not wandered from Your path. But you crushed us and left us to the wild dogs. You covered us over with deep darkness.” silhouette of man and woman kissing during sunset Facing the Unimaginable I’ll never forget being called to the nursery when my son Phoenix was only 18 months old. He was handed to me in a limp and semi conscious state. As far as I knew he was dead. I looked at the worker's face for answers but her expression was that of helplessness. They guessed a deadly spider might have bitten him. Later at the ER we were told that he had a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. The doctors assured us that the seizures did not cause brain damage. But in the weeks following we watched our son regress. Words he had learned to say, he lost, and even stopped talking altogether. We had to teach him sign language in order to communicate. In the months and years following he would miss many of the milestones that parents celebrate. He would go on to have many seizures. I can not explain to you the horror of watching something invisible attack your child at any time of the day or night. All this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten God! Patience, Prayer, and God's Promises in Hard Times What do we do during these hard times? Romans 12:12 says, “Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” First, be patient. When you are caught in a storm, sometimes the best thing to do is wait it out. This is not a passive waiting, it is an active waiting, relying on God. Because waiting is the only thing you can do. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Ps 27.) Second, keep on praying! Don’t let it break down your communication with God, even if it seems like He isn’t listening. Job never stopped pleading his case until God Himself answered. “Let the Almighty answer me!” (Job 31:35) Lastly, hold on to the promises of God. For all the promises of God are “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ. (2 Cor 1:20) God promises to work everything out for good in the end. And, “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Cor 4:17)Active Patience When life's storms hit, waiting on God isn't passive. Learn how to actively trust and rely on His strength during times of trouble. When life's storms hit, waiting on God isn't passive. Learn how to actively trust and rely on His strength during times of trouble.Keep Praying Even when it feels like God isn’t listening, keep praying. Stay persistent in your communication with God, just as Job did, until He answers. `` Hold Onto Promises Hold on to God’s promises, trusting He will work all things for good. Your present struggles are temporary, but His glory lasts forever. From Struggle to Triumph I can tell you today that our son Phoenix has been seizure free for a few years now! And he is thriving both in school and sports. God is still at work, even when we can’t see it. Our hope is in a faithful God who walks with us through the storm and brings restoration in His time. So when a storm is heading your way, let it rain...here comes a brighter day!