What remains, what heals, and what eventually becomes useful
I commonly refer to 2006 as “the year from hell.” It all began when my husband lost his ministry job and, overnight, I felt old, fat, and poor. Each following month produced another catastrophe.
Our home was hit by lightning, which destroyed one TV, all landline telephones, and my beloved computer. Then, a threatening medical issue catapulted us into the eye-opening maze of health insurance after job loss. As if things weren’t bad enough, a church reneged on a ministry commitment, causing me to experience a serious financial loss.
On and on, unpredictable calamities hit us.
Waiting for the next wallop, I did what any mature Christian believer would do. I curled up into the fetal position and prayed for Jesus to return. My green prayer chair became a cocoon where I longed for the distress to stop.
My fist was ready to punch the next person who thoughtlessly quoted Romans 8:28, or the ones who told me God had a purpose for my pain. I didn’t want a purpose. I didn’t care about a purpose. Call me shallow; I wanted it to stop.
I was desperate for a drop of “living water” to restore my faith, my soul, and a desire to live again. The biblical character Job became my patron saint, and by September of that year I fantasized about running away from home. No plan or destination, merely—“Get me outta here!”
When rainstorms shroud my life, the only thing I yearn for is safe, dry land. I don’t care if God is using the downpour to produce compassion, patience, iron-clad faith, or any other Christ-like quality. It hurts. I want it over—very simple. Whimpering, I cry out, “Heavenly Daddy, make it stop. I know you are big enough.”
And there’s the rub. When you have an intimate relationship with the Celestial Daddy, you know he can stop the pain; his capability is not the hindrance. It’s his reliability we question, the why that snags us. I call this torture; God calls it pruning. I loathe the process; we both love the results.
Two years later, in my journal dated August 21, 2008, I had written:
“During 2006 it felt as though locusts had infested every area of my life, and when they finally moved on, I was stripped bare. I had nothing left. Only the ‘Life Giver’ could breathe existence into my nostrils. His touch was the one thing that could transform my dust into pulsing flesh and restore radiance to my ashen cheeks. I was a ‘Dead Man Walking’ but now—Resurrection!! I feel akin to Lazarus.”
Perhaps locusts are swarming around your sweet life and home. Maybe they have stripped your family—and your emotions—bare. You feel naked and exhausted.
It might not be job loss or medical issues, as it was for us that year. However, the journey of life is complicated. There WILL be seasons that feel as if someone is sucking the life out of you drop by drop. And as we age, the reasons for storms may change, but the emotions remain.
Take heart, it’s normal. In every situation Jesus sees you. He hears you. He still has the healing, resurrection power to restore your world. The tsunami might leave things looking and feeling differently, but He never changes.
Practical Steps in the Storm
Rest. Get VERY quiet. We hear Him most clearly when we stop talking and striving.
Go outside. We were created to live in a garden. Nature is HOME for us.
Obtain practical resources that walk you through a stormy season. If you don’t know of one, contact me. I’ll share: Laura@LauraPetherbridge.com.
Speak out loud Bible verses that remind us we are not alone.
Find one friend you can trust to share your struggle.
Call to mind a past time when God rescued you from a storm.
Replace the fear of “what if” with the truth of reality.
Just today I got a message from a woman I helped many years ago during her divorce. She shared, “You don’t know this, but you changed my life. Your words gave me hope and to this day I still quote you to other people who are going through a divorce. Keep telling your story. God blesses it over and over. God uses you to bring people to the healing only Jesus can give.”
When the storms of 2006 were crashing against our window, I couldn’t find a ray of light. I was depressed. I wondered if I would ever have a “normal” life again. It didn’t seem possible.
The enemy of our soul loves to keep us in that abyss of obscurity, tempting us to believe our future is doomed, that we are on our own. And that’s often what we do in a storm—we isolate.
Right now, for you, the storm may be raging. He has not forgotten you or your family. Even when you can’t see it, trust Him.
Looking back, My-20 year-old journal revealed that our storm did pass. Did we have bruises and scars? Absolutely. However, those welts and wounds now serve a higher calling.
I point to them and offer a fellow sojourner encouragement, saying, “Let me walk beside you in the storm. I’ve been there. I know it hurts. God sees you. He hears your cry and counts your tears (Psalm 56:8). He won’t leave even if it feels like it.”
Copyright © 2026 Laura Petherbridge. All rights reserved
New to The Best-Life Project?
Please read these foundational posts:
Read More from This Author:
Laura Petherbridge is an international author and speaker who serves couples and single adults with topics on relationships, stepfamilies, singles, divorce prevention, and divorce recovery. She is the author of When “I Do” Becomes “I Don’t”—Practical Steps for Healing During Separation and Divorce, The Smart Stepmom, co-authored with Ron Deal, and 101 Tips for The Smart Stepmom: Expert Advice From One Stepmom to Another. Her website is www.TheSmartStepmom.com. Watch her most recent broadcast with Family Life Blended.
Wow, Laura! SO TRUE and so relatable. Excellent tips on how to get through… thank you SO much! While reading, a quote popped into my mind that I’d heard from a southern black minister, in the powerful way that only that beautiful culture can express it… He said, “in this life, we are either headed for a storm, in the middle of a storm, or coming out of a storm. But we must remember that we need to PUSH- ‘P-U-S-H’ Pray Until Something Happens)!” Thank you for reminding us to BE STILL (so we can hear) and more and that we will see those storms differently in time . TY again! You are a blessing!!!!
Great post! We’ve all been through tough times and how wonderful that our “Celestial Daddy” hears our cry and comforts us. Not only that, He uses our pain and allows us to help others in the same situation. Thank you for being vulnerable enough to share your feelings and story. I can’t wait to see what your next chapter holds for you! God Bless!