“He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” — Matthew 8:26
Remember the movie “Annie”? In it, she sings: “The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun. Just thinkin’ about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow ’til there’s none. When I’m stuck with a day that’s grey and lonely, I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh, the sun will come out tomorrow. So you gotta hang on ’til tomorrow, come what may! Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You’re always a day away!”
As beautiful as the lyrics are, friends, the sun is always shining. It may be raining or cloudy down here, but take a plane ride and watch what happens when the plane flies 30,000 feet up, high above the clouds. Clear skies and bright sunshine are all you will see.
This column is written to encourage those of you who are going through some hard times right now. Maybe you’ve recently been diagnosed with some deadly disease. Just remember, just because your doctor has given you a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily make it the final word. However, the diagnosis does depend on your level of faith. Scripture reminds us, “For I say to every man that is among you, through the grace given unto me, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Or it could an ill child, or you lost your job and now you’re not sure what’s next! Just remember the sun is always shining! Stop, meditate, pray and think about the blue skies and the bright sun, shining above the storm. Take your thoughts to a higher place, a place where you can allow God and His Holy Spirit to come into your heart.
He will surely give you peace, even in the midst of a storm. I remember seeing a Facebook post from former D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. years ago that depicted a bird sitting on the ledge during a severe storm. The bird is bundled up and has his head bowed. The accompanying message said, “Sometimes, you just have to bow your head, say a prayer and weather the storm.”
When tough times come along — and they will — increase your faith and turn it over to God. You will look around, and those hard times will have passed over, just like the storms of life.
This example is truly one that you will be able to relate to. When I was a student at Trinity University, during my first semester, 30 years after graduating from high school, I found it extremely difficult to change my lifestyle. My freedom was being taken from me. Working full-time for the D.C. City Council, I was accustomed to coming home and relaxing, watching something on television. But now, I had homework. Everything in me tried to reject doing homework. But I finally had to weather the storm! I began to turn off the television and truly apply myself.
It seemed as if the finish line would never come. But, ladies and gentlemen, that day did finally come. And what a wonderful graduation day it was. It was a bright, sunshiny day! It will be for you, too, if you will keep going, even through the storms of life.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, visit her website, www.lyndiagrantshow.com, email lyndiagrant@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on Twitter @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.