Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: ACT (05/05/22)
-
TITLE: He Stilled The Storm | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Fahy
05/11/22 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“So how have things been going for you Jim?”
“That’s why I asked you here Tom.” I sipped on my coffee. “There’s a storm going on in my head.”
“Do you have any idea what’s causing it?”
“Yes, and it’s embarrassing.”
Tom looked me straight in the eye. “What ever the problem is, I have a hunch others have had the same problem.”
I looked at my lunch. “I have made some bad decisions in my life. Some involved other people.”
Tom nodded.
“For me it’s like a form of escape from my bad decisions. I take what actually happened in the past and I change what I said or did.
“How does that make you feel?” Tom asked.
“ The new past makes me feel better, wiser and stronger. It’s as if I’m saying I’m right and you’re wrong. I would play the what if game. What if I said this or did this. But nothing changed.”
Tom leaned in and said, “I’ve done the same thing over a number of situations. Yes, it is a storm in our head.”
I look up at the ceiling and feel a smile cross my face.
Tom straightened in his chair. “If nothing changes, it is out of our hands. I finally realized what a waste of time and energy.”
I knew how he broke loose from the demon but I asked anyway. “How did you get free?”
“The same way I do all my problems. Turn it over to God.” Tom looked at his watch. “I’m sorry but I have to go. Before I leave, let me give you a verse that helped me. I’ll call you on Wednesday and you can let me know how it is going.”
Tom told me to go home, read and meditate on Isaiah 43:18,19. The last thing Tom said to me was expect a miracle.
Returning home I read Isaiah 43:18,19 NIV. The Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Verse 19 “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness.” And streams in the wasteland.” God wants me to live in the present because that is where He is. God says there is no way, but He will make a way. He is doing something new in my life so I should pay attention. There is no relief in trying to change something I can’t. Only God can relieve and refresh me through His Word and Presence.
This habit was so ingrained in me that it has taken awhile to work through it. I know God is weaving those bad decisions in with the good ones so I can use them to help others. When those thoughts from the past surface I act by praying and using God’s word to overcome them. My reward out of this is letting go and building my trust in God.
Three things I can not change. The first is people. Only God can do that. The second is the truth. The truth found in God’s word can not be changed. Finally the past. It’s over. There is nothing anyone can do about it now. With God, His Word and christian friends like Tom they guided me through the storm that was going on in my head. Psalm 107:29NIV says, “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. That is the power and the love of Almighty God acting in my life. He is always present and ready to answer my cries for help.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
I stumbled a few times over the punctuation and the clarity. It wasn't very clear what playing the 'what if', and by 'making me right and you wrong' was expecting something to change in the present time. Still it fascinates me how it was put together.
I believe the Scripture you included answers it all. Kudos.
PS I'm not at all sure I've written this with clarity :)
Hey, keep writing…watch the punctuation. Have somebody read it before you publish…if you use “Word” “, you can have the computer read it aloud back to you. I like this feature, as it makes errors easily recognizable.