Campus Ministries: Catholic Ministries

THEN CAME THE STORM

I can't say my life had been all sunshine, but it had been pretty smooth sailing.

I CAN'T SAY MY LIFE HAD BEEN ALL SUNSHINE, BUT IT HAD BEEN PRETTY SMOOTH SAILING.

I'd mastered the winds and waves well enough to keep my life on some sort of course.

I'D MASTERED THE WINDS AND WAVES WELL ENOUGH TO KEEP MY LIFE ON SOME SORT OF COURSE.

I was captain of my ship and I saluted myself with satisfaction most every day.

IF GOD WASN'T CAPTAIN OF MY SHIP, AT LEAST I SALUTED GOD IN PRAYER MOST EVERY DAY.

I was happy.

I WAS HAPPY.

There was nothing in my life that I was anxious to see change.

THERE WAS NOTHING IN MY LIFE THAT I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE CHANGE.

Then came the storm.

THEN CAME THE STORM.

I don't know why I didn't see it coming, but it took me by surprise.

I GUESS I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE IT COMING, SO I LET IT TAKE ME BY SURPRISE.

What a fierce storm it was!

WHAT A FIERCE STORM IT WAS!

It capsized my whole life.

IT CAPSIZED MY WHOLE LIFE.

Suddenly everything was upside down.

SUDDENLY EVERYTHING WAS UPSIDE DOWN.

Everything fell out of place.

EVERYTHING FELL OUT OF PLACE.

My life started breaking up all around me.

MY LIFE STARTED BREAKING UP ALL AROUND ME.

I was drowning!

I WAS DROWNING!

I was filling up with fear.

I WAS FILLING UP WITH FEAR.

I began to panic in darkness and confusion.

I BEGAN TO PANIC IN DARKNESS AND CONFUSION.

I cursed the day I was born, but held on to my life.

I CRIED OUT TO GOD AND REACHED OUT FOR GOD TO SAVE ME.

My life was now in shambles.

MY LIFE WAS NOW IN GOD'S HANDS.

I floated alone as best I could.

I MOVED CLOSER TO GOD AS BEST I COULD.

All alone I could not right my life again.

GOD GUIDED ME SO I COULD RIGHT MY LIFE AGAIN.

I cursed God for ruining the life I had known.

I PRAISED GOD FOR HELPING ME REBUILD A BETTER LIFE.

I found my whole life changed and blamed God for it.

I FOUND THE STRENGTH TO CHANGE MY LIFE AND MADE GOD MY CAPTAIN.

My life has now become more unbalanced and unsteady than ever before.

MY LIFE HAS NOW BECOME MORE BALANCED AND STEADY THAN EVER BEFORE.

I've sunk down to new depths of bitterness and self-pity.

I'VE RISEN TO NEW HEIGHTS OF JOY AND SERVICE.

A whirlpool of base passions pulls me down.

THE LIVING WATERS OF GOD'S GRACE RAISE ME UP.

I'm entangled by old lies that will not die.

I'M FREED BY A NEW LIFE THAT WILL NEVER DIE.

That storm was the worse thing that could have happened to me.

THAT STORM WAS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME.

Ronald Stanley, O.P.

For additional articles relating to this topic see:

TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE

WHY DOES GOD LET PEOPLE SUFFER?

TRUE HIMILITY

 

 

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