My Survival Kit: Before, During and After the Storm

The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:7

Hi Friends! It’s wonderful being able to share my musings with you!

Thank you for keeping up with the Musing Mom! 

By now, you should notice that The Musing Mom is a place for encouragement when we are facing real issues. In this article, I want to share with you some things I have done over the years to encourage myself when I've been in the midst of life's storms.

Let's get real

We know that at this moment we are either in the midst of a storm, at the tail end of a storm or about to enter a storm. I once heard that every 3 months, we all experience some problem or catastrophe. Now, that's kind of alarming!

Between me and you, I wish I never had problems.

But, as I grow older and more mature in my faith, I realize the usefulness of trials.

Trials can lead to triumphs because:

1. They help us get closer to God when we increase our prayer time, through fasting, and Bible study; (Psalm 55:17)
2. Trials give us experience in the reality of the existence and power of Almighty God. In other words, it's when we get to see the power of our Father being revealed to save, direct and protect us from evil; (Isaiah 43:12)
3. We get the opportunity to share our victories and so encourage others because all temptations, all our stressors have been experienced by others;(Psalm 77:10-12; 1 Thess 5:11)
4. Trials increase our faith and perseverance; (Romans 5:3-5)
5. Important information or lessons are revealed. (Hebrews 5:8)

My Survival Kit: Before, During and After the Storm

So here are some things I have done to help me through the storms of life!

Before the Storm

1. I read and mark my Bible

I enjoy reading the Bible. I find that when I read it, it feels right like it's a part of me. There are have been times when I felt impressed to read certain books of the Bible and I end up experiencing issues that the scriptures I read earlier were a of encouragement to me as I experienced the trial after.

I have a colour coding system in my Bible so when I read it, I can reflect on the promises, information about God's character and special teachings that have been highlighted. I developed my own code at the times based on what I thought was important for me to learn about such as the character of our Father and the promises, the fruit of Christian living and the teachings about Christ. I took a sheet of paper some years ago and made a list of those many categories and put a colour beside it that I thought matched the topic. 

For instance: 
yellow is for the promises of God and also the personality of God; 
red represents anything to do with Christ and His blood, and love; 
green represents teachings or principles to live by; and 
orange represent the fruit of Christian living. There are others but I try to keep it simple. When I see the colours, I make the association in my mind about the teachings in the scriptures.

I use the same colour code the passages in my Bible apps. I use the YouVersion Bible app and Bible with Strong's and Concordance (look them up in Google Play Store for Android devices).


2. I keep an Encouragement Book

About 2 years ago, I started an encouragement notebook. It's a  simple notebook where I write messages of encouragement to my future self who will experience those rough, stormy seasons. As I learned anything about the purpose of problems and pain, I wrote it down in my book so that I could review it when the actual trials would start. In some of the notes, I added my name so that I will feel like the messages are just for me in those rough times.

3. Seek a friend before you need a friend.

My mother always said that I should seek a friend before I need a friend and it's true. When I talk with people, I can tell whether they have been with Jesus. I look beyond the lines of denomination and see a brother or sister who has a profound relationship with God. These people are usually prayer warriors. They are not perfect- none of us are- but we walk in one Spirit. When times get tough, we pray together and encourage each other in the Lord. 

When my family was torn apart by divorce, I was supported by these friends from the various denominations. We prayed together, prayed for, counselled and encouraged in the Lord. No one told me to do anything malicious or said bad things about my children's father but their encouragement was scriptural. This is one of the functions of the church: to encourage each other in the Lord because all of us will face difficulties before our Lord Jesus Christ returns.  Hebrews 10:25

During the Storm

1. Fasting 
One of my preferred activities during a storm is fasting. Particularly, I go on a 21 day Daniel Fast. For 21 days, I drink only water or bush tea without sugar, and have a vegan diet really. No sugar, oil, preservatives, medication, flour, or processed foods pass my lips. I also stop eating by 6 or 7 pm and go to bed early. I also don't watch or listen to anything entertaining or talk about certain secular topics. My focus is doing what I have to do daily and on the Lord. I schedule times for prayer and Bible reading, and the Lord reveals things to me, encourages me and strengthens me. The last time I went on the fast was when I was especially depressed during the divorce. I could feel it in my bones that the Lord wanted to comfort me on a deeper level and I needed a cleanse, and time to focus so I went on the fast. It helped.

Read about the 10 and 21 Day Daniel Fast here.

2. I cry out to my Heavenly Father.
Yep! I just stop what I'm doing and cry out to God with a shout or quietly in hot and burning tears. And it doesn't matter where I am. I cry out even on a busy street because when pain hits, it doesn't care where you are or what you are doing.

3. I keep a Prayer and Faith journal.

I have kept a record of my prayers for a couple of years now. I actually write my prayers and date them. I also use a colour code in this journal. When I highlight the date and subject in pink, it means that prayer was answered. The florescent yellow highlighted date and subject is usually a thanksgiving prayer. It's just amazing to take up my journals and see the pink highlights because I am reminded that God is real and He answers prayers.

4. I listen to worship and spiritually encouraging songs.

There are a number of songs that I listen over and over again during tough times. My playlist has songs like:

In Christ Alone/The Solid Rock by Travis Cottrel 
 Peace in my Soul by Jermaine Edwards
Just be Held by Casting Crowns  
He'll Do it Again by Shirley Ceaser   
Where There is Faith by 4 Him  
Blessed and Highly Favoured by Carey Sayles  
Jesus is only a Prayer Away by Ben Moore 
Already Done by Ryan Mark and Kevin Downswell   
It's Gonna be Nice by Yolanda Adams  
I Don't Mind Waiting by Juanita Bynum 
I Smile by Kirk Franklin    
No Weapon by Fred Hammond and RFC
Be Blessed by Yolanda Adams 
this playlist of old Acapella songs

After the Storm

1. I document my testimonies.
I don't always do this but I encourage you to write it down! Keep a record of the deliverance, of the lessons you learned so that others can learn from your experience and grow as well when they read the testimonies. Documenting your story will also encourage you for the next storm. All you have to do is read those testimonies for a reminder of how you 'got over' all those other times. I can testify about that!

2. I share my testimonies with others!
We are never delivered from the snare of the devil to keep it to ourselves. As believers, we have to share this life-changing information with others. We should never expect to be delivered from a storm and not use this information as a means of encouragement for the lonely, stressed and depressed person. No sermon is as potent as a testimony about a personal encounter with Almighty God and His delivering, providing, healing, loving hand! People are in pain and are dying out there when a believer's testimony could bring hope to their depressed ears. This is the purpose of the church! We are to encourage each other in the Lord everyday. Don't keep everything to yourself. God is good so share with others your experience of his faithfulness. Your story could save a life. 
Hebrews 3:13

It's Your Turn

In lieu of the promise of trials, how do you prepare for, endure and celebrate after those seasons?

Also, which one of the tips in this article do you practice or would  use?

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God bless you!