How to Keep Moving Forward Through the Storm

With life comes rainfall experiences. From the lightest sprinkles to the most torrential downpours. A friend of mine recently shared in her weekly inspirational message about the challenges of driving in the rain, which got me thinking about this in an interesting way. She noticed while driving through this heavy rain that some motorists had chosen to pull over, which suggested that their windshield wipers failed to clear the falling rain water fast enough for them to safely continue their journey. And so life can be when the rainy seasons of your life dump more on you than one can seemingly bear (or see beyond).

Rainy conditions will indeed challenge your visibility. And depending on the shape your wipers are in, you may not be able to see well enough to safely proceed to your destination. After all, given the great risk associated with moving forward while unable to clearly see what's ahead, a delayed arrival is better than not arriving at all. While sitting alongside life's highway watching the other vehicles passing by, you may even recall brushing off the need to get a fresh new set of windshield wipers to replace the now dull pair. As it's often said, hindsight is 20/20. So there's no point in being frustrated about it now. You just have to wait until the rain slacks up, however long that may be.

Here is where I'm going with all of this... One of the greatest advantages of enjoying a vibrant life of prayer and communion with your Heavenly Father is the way in which He improves your visibility despite the conditions. There is literally no amount of rainfall He cannot quickly clear from your windshield when He is allowed to provide for you. But a lack of prayer and communion with Him deceives you into believing that you can see things on our own--that is, until you find yourself parked on the shoulder of the road waiting for the storm to pass.

Be encouraged today to make prayer and communion with Yahweh a consistent part of your life with Him. Trust Him to be faithful in making sure you can always see the way, even under the worst of conditions. He will clear the rain from your view, so you can keep moving forward THROUGH the storm to your destination.

Stock photo by Matheus Bertelli (IG: @bertellifotografia) from Pexels

Overcoming Barriers to Fulfilling Purpose

When it comes to pursuing one's dreams, there are times when you may feel inadequate.  The idea comes to mind that if you had access to certain abilities or resources, it would be much easier for you to go after what you desire.  My decision making has certainly been affected by such thoughts over the years, which is why stories like that of America's Got Talent contestant Mandy Harvey are so inspiring.  Each time I see the video of her appearance on the hit television show, it greatly encourages me to see setbacks as set-ups for even greater comebacks.

Mandy's story is a reminder that everything YOU think is needed is not required. Neither your condition nor your position can limit you, as long as you're willing to not give up the pursuit of YOUR path to greatness.  As Mandy indicated in her interview, it was her desire to sing.  When her condition suddenly changed, she had to decide between giving up altogether or finding an alternative path to fulfilling what she understood to be her purpose.

When life presents challenges that affect your ability to move forward in your purpose, don't mistake the attack against your path as an attack against your purpose.  As the scriptures read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT), "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."  To help you withstand the temptation to quit, Yahweh is committed to showing you a way to escape whatever has presented itself to block the manifestation of destiny.