After shopping last night, I found myself without a coat, lugging 6 bags of groceries and facing the challenge of walking through a total downpour to get into my minivan.

Internally, I grumbled. It was cold, I didn’t feel like getting wet, and I didn’t want to deal with soggy bags of food.

At that moment heading toward the store, I saw a 3-year-old little girl being carried through the parking lot in her father’s arms, expressing pure joy and giggling through the same rain I was fretting about.

Internally, I heard God’s message loud and clear: “I am holding you right now. Why aren’t you enjoying my presence?”

All throughout our lives and especially through the stormy times, we are being held in our Heavenly Father’s arms. When we realize we’re being carried by the Spirit of God, we can find inexplicable joy and peace, even through challenges that would ordinarily cause us misery.

I took a deep breath, remembered that I was surrounded by an army of angels and chose to enjoy my dramatic dash to the van with a smile, looking forward to steering through puddles on my way home – one of my favorite simple pleasures of life.

On my way home though, I experienced even more peace in my heart, when I realized if that little girl would have been throwing a tantrum about being out in the cold windy rain, her father still would have held her. If she was cowering in fear of thunder, her father still would have held her. No matter what bad behavior she threw at him to avoid the cold, He would have kept her safe in his loving arms through the storm.

Even if I would have maintained my bad attitude about getting wet, God would have continued to carry me through my busy day with patience, unconditional love and steadfast kindness – ministering to my soul and pouring grace into my heart every opportunity I gave Him with my free will choices.

In this world, a stormy night is the least of our problems. At times, we all go through very real and intense periods of tribulation on our spiritual journeys through life.

During these tumultuous times, God delights when we are able to embody the peace and joy of Christ by keeping our awareness of His presence with us. But when we are more focused on our pain than God’s presence with us, our Heavenly Father continues to carry us in beautiful and glorious ways that we may never fully understand.

What storm of life are you going through right now? Are you aware of Christ’s presence, carrying you like the loving Father He is? Comment below, and I’ll be delighted to keep you in my prayers.

Lord, help us to appreciate You as the perfect Heavenly Father that You are. Give us the grace to become more aware of Your joyful, peaceful, comforting and unconditionally loving presence in our lives. Show us all the ways that You are “holding” us in every moment, so we can truly glorify You in the way You deserve. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

written by Nicky Gant for http://www.uniteinprayer.org 3/10/2019