If you’re my client, you know I live and work aboard a boat. I moved from my suburban home in Atlanta to the boat a little over two years ago. During this time, I’ve learned many things. Some of them are expected, like how to pilot the vessel and navigate waterways. Others are more unusual, such as – learning that catfish are fond of mac and cheese and napa cabbage, and pods of dolphins give their offspring fishing lessons. Living aboard a boat intimately connects a person to the environment. My cabin/office rises and falls with the tide, and rocks in rhythm with the water. Breezes fill the pilot house and sunrises and sunsets are each day’s ever-changing artwork.
Some days aboard are utterly delightful, but not every day has clear, cloudless skies. Some days are subject to storms, squalls, and hurricanes. These latter days of weathering storms are when I am reminded of how vulnerable we are, and I think of the apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians. “But we have these treasures in jars of clay, to show that surpassing power belongs to God and not to us (2 Corinthians 4:7).” We are fragile.
When I lived in a home, I was aware that, despite my best efforts, disaster could befall me at any moment. But honestly, I didn’t think too much about it. Affluence, influence, and thickly insulated walls were the smoke that obscured the illusion that I had the ability to control the outcome of things that were important to me. Over the past couple of years, that smoke has thinned, and the truth of Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps,” is more poignant than ever. God calls us to steward our lives well and He grants us knowledge, wisdom, and the ability to chart our course. He has given us power in the process of life, and his Word to guide us. But the outcomes, what happens, and where our feet land as we step – they belong to Him.
Can you relate? Are you experiencing sunny, breezy days, and feeling like life’s outcomes are in your favor? Praise God and celebrate! All of us, however, experience disappointment, pain, and loss at points in life’s journey. Maybe there have been times in your life when you’ve prepared your best only to have disappointing results. You’ve taken precautions to stay safe only to be undermined by illnesses or accidents. Maybe you have given your all in a relationship only to be betrayed, rejected, and unappreciated, or invested earnings carefully and still lost. For some reason and despite our best efforts, God does not always allow the outcomes we desire. These times may feel like storms, squalls, or hurricanes, leaving us feeling vulnerable, fragile, and broken.
Let’s read a little further along in 2 Corinthians 4:
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10).
Our storms and pain are not without purpose, and together, we can weather them. This is another reason for praise!
Are you in the midst of a storm? Are you angry or disappointed? Maybe you are grieving, fearful, frustrated, exhausted, or overwhelmed. Don’t walk this path alone. Reach out to Restoration Counseling. A Christian Counselor will walk alongside you, encourage you in your faith, sit with you while you question, and pray for you.
Written by Andrea Brandt, NCC, LPC
andrea@restorationcounselingatl.com, ext. 154
Online Counseling
Andrea Brandt works with adults who desire freedom and healing from the impact of addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression. She uses EMDR to help clients reduce the urge to engage in behaviors that they want to stop, and she treats the underlying trauma and beliefs that fuel unhealthy behaviors and thinking. On the journey toward healing, Andrea guides clients in understanding and managing emotions, creating, communicating, and maintaining healthy boundaries, and growing in healthy relationships. Andrea has specialized training EMDR, Addictions, and Exposure and Response Prevention. She sees clients via telemental health from her boat-office, Knot 2 Late. She believes that it is never too late to embrace change, heal, and grow.