The Eye Of The Storm

We were somewhere in Missouri on our way to Iowa on Friday, August 13th, 2010 when in the distance we could see a large black cloud rapidly filling the sky. Lighting was striking all around. I can't even begin to count the bolts of lighting that were striking per minute. It had to be hundreds! It was absolutely AMAZING! I mentioned to the girls that this storm looked like it was gonna be a doozie. About 20 minutes passed and then the first few drops began to fall. One right after another. The further we drove into the storm the harder and faster the rain fell. Lighting was even more intense and brighter than what we had witnessed earlier. The claps of thunder was unreal! It sounded like a gang of symbols clashing together. Unbelievable I tell ya! We where here...in the eye of this storm. About 40 minutes passed and the storm was still raging. I started to think to myself... how much longer will this storm last?? When will the rain stop falling and the sun begin to shine again?? As those questions began to run through my mind the dialog between God and I would start to take place. It was as though HE was painting a parable in the sky through this storm. As if HE was saying....Rachelle, I know where you are at. I know where your family is at. I know where Krista, Brian and the girls are at! This too shall pass! I will carry you through this storm! Trust me!! There is sunshine on the other side! :)

On August 11, 2010 my family and I were driving down the highway of "LIFE" when all of a sudden out of no where we encountered an unexpected "STORM". My sister Krista and Brother in-law Brian were expecting their 4th child. Krista was 4months pregnant. She was due late January. However, that all changed the morning of August 11th when Krista and Brian found out that their precious little baby's heart had stopped beating! The phone call came and in seconds our world would be turned upside down! As we looked up....we found ourselves in the EYE OF THE STORM. I had no words to speak. It was like the air and everything around me had been sucked right out! My heart was shattered into a thousand pieces! NO NO NO I began to shout! This can't be.....Why?? I don't understand!! Streams of tears flowed out like a rushing river!

Moments passed and I decided to go for a walk outside to embrace the news and the phone call. As I walked along the grassy yard lined with big beautiful trees and felt the wind blowing across my face the following passage came forth to mind....Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Lord comfort is what we need! Peace is what we need! Your PEACE that surpasses all understanding. Lord your ways are higher than ours and though I do not understand I know that in due time you will make this path straight! In the meantime Lord please let your glory shine brightly upon Krista, Brian and the girls as they find the strength to put one foot in front of the other and live in this day! Let them feel the warmth of your LOVE like never before! They NEED you....WE NEED YOU!!

The following morning I would see God at work. As I woke up and watched the sunrise through the crack of my eyes the thought came to mind...HIS mercy Rachelle is new every morning! As I sat in bed and held tight to that passage a sense of JOY filled my heart. I slowly but surely made it out of bed and headed into my quite time. I'm reading through the devotional "Jesus Calling" and the passage of scriptures were the following:

Isa 54:10

Though the mountain be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing LOVE for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of PEACE be removed; says the Lord, who has COMPASSION on you.

Romans 8:26

In the same way, The SPIRIT helps us in our weakness, we don't know what we ought to pray for, BUT the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words can't express.

Just knowing that God laid this passage in my lap for me to live off for the day was freeing!! This day would be a tough one! A day where I knew I would once again have no words to speak! ! It would be a day where we would have to PRAISE HIM through our tears! You see this is the morning that Krista would be admitted into the hospital to deliver their little baby! By the end of this day I would be a proud Auntie to another little niece or nephew. The labor process began around 7:30am. I knew that it would be awhile before much happened so I decided to go into work at the hospital to see a few patients myself. It was around 3 o'clock before I left and headed upstairs to where Krista and Brian were at. Brian came to the front to meet up with me and walk me back to the room. When I got there Krista was at 1cm and was peacefully resting in her bed! I walked in the room and just sat quietly next to her bed and watched her sleep. Thank you Jesus that in this brief moment Krista is able to just REST!!! An hour passed and by this time Mom had arrived to the hospital. Krista was waking up and was wanting to just talk. She asked Brian to see if he could get her some ice chips. When Brian came back he had something better than ice chips! The nurse gave him a Popsicle. That was a nice little surprise for Krista. A few minutes after eating the Popsicle Krista started to have an extreme case of shivers. We called the nurse in so she could check on Krista. She informed Krista that this type of shivering was normal and that her body was transitioning into delivery mode. She checked Krista out and told her that she was now at 5cm. That she would NOT have to make it to 10cm before she delivered. Krista didn't like the fact that she was shivering so, she asked Brian to send out a prayer request via her face book account. So off he went! After the prayer request was sent Krista asked for Brian to pull up worship music on her iPhone. I don't know if I truly have the words to express what would take place the moment those songs would fill this room BUT I can tell you this...It is a moment that I will never forget as long as I live! There was a PEACE and STILLNESS like never before! Brian laid the phone on her tummy and just held tightly to her hand and rested his head upon her bed! What an AMAZING picture that was being painted right before my very eyes! Wow.... God you are good!! As the songs continued to play Krista's body became still , the shivering had stopped and she fell back a sleep! Even in the midst of the storm YOU O' Lord are in control!! Wow!

At 4:44pm Jonathan Andrew Lord came into this world. Thank you Jesus for this miracle of life! Thank you for the blessing of yet another nephew! You are faithful to answer the prayers of your children!

The storm has come and gone! Where are we today?? Great question! Taking one step at a time. Laying one brick at a time! God is good and HIS house still stands!! Lord rebuild and restore this house better than it was before. May this story and the life of Jonathan bring you kingdom success now and forever! In Jesus Name!!

Matt 7:24-25

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had it's foundation on the rock.

Krista and Brian...just want you to know that I love you both so much! Thank you for displaying such GREAT FAITH during these past several weeks! The journey you've walked through together as husband and wife and as a family has spoken volumes to me! May the Lord bless you richly and abundantly as you continue to seek HIS face! He will carry you through! To God be the glory...In Jesus Name...Amen!!