Due to our geographical location in Dakar, Senegal, a couple of times every year, for several days at a time, we have dust/sand storms. Nothing violent, just two or three days at a time where the air is purely fine dust particles. It gets so bad that visibility is reduced, driving gets tricky, everything, and I mean everything, is covered in a fine layer of dust, and obviously even for breathing, it is recommended to wear a mask if you must venture outdoors. Sports activities are discouraged and those with respiratory illnesses are asked to take extra precautions. No amount of cleaning helps because as soon as you clean, there is a layer of dust in minutes and because the particles are so fine, they get everywhere. With or without COVID you find yourself having to clean your hands and surfaces around you constantly. I have lived here a while so it’s nothing new but this morning, something about it hit me differently. I have been praying and reflecting these last few weeks asking God to show me things differently and to open my eyes, physical and spiritual to see things in ways I never thought of before.
So, this morning, when I came down from my apartment to go to work, my car was filthy dusty, which is obvious due to the state of the weather, but I was mildly irritated because I give my guard a little extra coin each week to make sure my car is clean when I go to work every morning. But, as quickly as I got irritated, it dissipated because truth be told, he probably did clean the car about 20 minutes before I was ready to leave, which is what he always does, but due to the weather, it didn’t have matter, the sand storm would have made the car look filthy in minutes. So, I drive to work and its early still a bit dark but due to the dust, the visibility was reduced and I had to drive slower than usual and as I parked, I wondered, should I have someone wash the car? What would be the point, it would get dirty all over again in a short amount of time and it made me pause and think about us as human beings.
How many times do we ask God to heal us or get us out of from circumstances we cannot get out of? Or, on the flip side, how many times do we ask for healing in circumstances we choose to stay in?
It really got me thinking, in this sand storm, as in life, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we cannot get out of because we they are not in our control and just like this sandstorm, we are in it until it clears, yet we try to use old strategies or things we know (in my instance getting the car washed) to try and stay above it, knowing fully well it is a temporary measure. Just like the storm the disciples found themselves in in the bible (Mark 4:35-41), they could do nothing about the storm and they were worried and they seem to forget for just a moment that Jesus was with them in the boat, asleep. And when He got up and calmed the storm, they were, yet again, amazed by His power.
Do we, as Christians need to remember that, every once in a while, when we are caught up in storms? That maybe the right strategy is to be still and let God be God, knowing He will get us through. That while we have No control, He who created us does have all the control and His plans for us will always be for our good and that it will all work out in the end. But it is important to remember, that just like I had to drive slow due to visibility issues, and have to put on a mask (in spite of Covid), and just like I still have to take antihistamines to protect my respiratory system, when we are in the storm and trusting in God, we still have to keep an eye on our surroundings. It is not a carte blanch to be reckless. It is still important, if not more so, to watch our words and how we use them, it is important what we let into our minds at this time because we are weakened in stormy times and it is in those times that old habits, old temptations come knocking. So, when you find yourself in a storm, not of your doing and not one in your control, buckle down, take care of you and yours, trusting fully that the Lord has your back while keeping a watchful eye to not fall prey to temptations that may derail your progress.
On the flip side though, what about the storms we as humans create for ourselves? You know those times you get yourself in a situation and it spins out of control but it’s of your own doing? Things like staying in toxic relationships (be it with friends, marital or family situations, or any other kind, addictions – to sex, drugs, alcohol, certain people and yes that is a thing…… I have been in a few of these, and I know for a fact that it is hard to acknowledge that just maybe, just maybe, this is a storm of your own doing. We keep praying and praying for God to take the storm away or make it easier to bear yet what we need to do is get out of the storm altogether.
We stay in these storms for many different reasons. It could be insecurity, fear, ignorance, habit, not knowing or expecting any different, familial influences, and many others. This doesn’t change the fact that we have some control in these situations, not that it is easy or clear, but we do. Just like me cleaning the car is futile in a sand storm, it is futility to keep asking God to clear the storm for you if you unwilling to be courageous enough to take steps of your own to try and get out of the storm. If I get out in that sand storm without a mask and run around, inhaling that dusty air, chances are I will get sick with a respiratory infection. This is what it means when we stay in the storms we create and keep asking God to fix it. He cannot fix what is already detrimental to you.
In these times, God’s will for you is to get out of the storm and for you to go in the direction He is guiding you. He has already given you all the tools you need to get out of the storm but you need to take those tools and put them to work. God will not force you to do what you are unwilling to do, some of the effort has to be you. Too often, we want to stay in our storm and want God to change the storm (the situation) or clear it and because of the reduced visibility in our storm, we are unable to see the long-term effects of our actions. We keep getting covered in dust, try wash it off but because we are still in the storm, we get right back to being covered in dirt and grime all over again and we keep wondering why God is not picking us up and cleaning us up.
Maybe it’s time to really look at your situation again, reflect and pray on it and ask God whether this is a storm that you need to buckle in and wait until it passes under His guidance or whether you need you need to make some tough decisions to get yourself out of the storm and instead ask for courage and guidance to get to the next stage of your life. Either way, God’s got your back if you let HIM be God in YOUR life.
The Musings of a Wandering Mind 