This winter has been one for the record books! My kids have already had more snow days in this school year than the last ten years combined! People are pining for spring break, warmer temperatures and green grass. I even dreamed about mowing the lawn and did not mind the work! This year has brought to mind the various winter storms we face here in the upper Midwest. Think about it for just a minute. I promise it won’t be long.

1. Snow storms. Just plain heavy snow falling straight down. The kind that piles up to more than a foot of white powder and changes the landscape overnight. Trying to move it can be a difficult task, especially when the plow brings it right back into your driveway.
2. Ice storms. The kind that leaves everything looking like crystal. It is beautiful, but it can be deadly on the roads, and it snaps trees and power lines alike. Walking down or up the driveway is an adventure!
3. Blizzards. The fury of the wind and the snow make everyone scramble inside and stay. This storm shuts down cities and even the interstates.
4. Bitter cold. The kind that makes your nostrils hurt when you breathe. Cars won’t start, pipes freeze and burst, even your bones hurt! You add a wind chill, and even though the sun can be shining, it is painful.
5. Heavy fog. The kind that is so thick, you can almost feel it on your skin as you go outside. This kind of storm is deceitful, for you think that it is safe, yet driving in it is hazardous due to the limited visibility.

As we experienced all of these storms this winter, I have had plenty of time to pause and ponder the difference in each one. While they are all storms, they each have their own personality and individual afflictions. I was reminded of the types of storms that come into our lives and how they, too, are all difficult, yet unique.

1. Snow storms. The times in our lives when we are overloaded and burdened. We feel like we can never keep up. With each shovelful, the load gets heavier. We feel buried underneath the weight.
2. Ice storms. The times we are on a slippery slope that we are not sure how to navigate. It can even seem beautiful at times. We think we can manage it alone, and then find ourselves spinning out of control into an area of sin.
3. Blizzards. These are the times for which we can’t even begin to prepare. It paralyzes our every movement. We are in a storm of life, and we know it! Everything shuts down.
4. Bitter cold. When things appear to be okay, but we are hurting and no one may know it. We try to keep moving, but the pain of living seems too great to go on.
5. Heavy fog. Where we lose direction and are not sure which way to turn, when we want God to tell us where to go or what to do, but He seems silent. We lose our vision and direction.

James 1 tells us that the storms in our lives are inevitable. He doesn’t say if storms come our way, but when they come our way (1:2). We can be sure that our Heavenly Father allows these storms to come our way so our dependence on Him will grow. God wants to make us mature, strong, and complete in him. Storms are the avenue to that destination. The outcomes of strength in character and wisdom for living come only through the storms of life. They are very hard to endure and can seem, at times, like they are breaking us. It is then that we have to be sure that all our trust in the One who is in ultimate control of the storm, and He will see us through. We can be assured that going through the storms of life will bring us to a new level of love for God and passion for His glory!

So…even though spring is officially still weeks away, and we still have the snowiest time of the year ahead, we can take heart. Sit back, have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, build a fire in the fireplace, and enjoy the storm. This too shall pass.