When One Storm Passes and Another Begins: Finding Patience, Faith, and Grace in the Middle of It All
When One Storm Passes and Another Begins: Finding Patience, Faith, and Grace in the Middle of It All
By Angel, Founder of AMC Rise and Thrive
🌅 Welcome
to AMC Rise and Thrive
Hey, beautiful souls. 🤍
Come on in, get comfortable, and let's have a little
heart-to-heart today. If you have a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever helps you
settle into a moment of peace, bring it along. Because whew, some days really
know how to test us!
You ever have one of those days when you have a whole plan in
your head, only for life to come along and say, “That's cute, but we're doing
something else today”?
You start with good intentions. You want to get things done,
spend a little time creating something meaningful, maybe even enjoy a quiet
moment for yourself. Then something unexpected happens, and suddenly you're
putting out fires, making decisions, managing emotions, and trying to keep
everything from falling apart.
And before you know it, the day has taken a completely
different direction.
That has been my reality lately.
Sometimes the storms we face are literal. Sometimes they're
the challenges happening inside our homes, within our families, or deep within
our own hearts. And sometimes, just when we think we've made it through one
thing, another situation is waiting for our attention.
Today, I'm sharing a little piece of real life. Not because I
have everything figured out, but because I know I'm not the only one trying to
hold it together while life keeps adding things to the list.
So, let's talk about what happens when one storm passes and
another begins.
💛 When
Life Interrupts the Plan
I had planned on writing this post earlier. I had my thoughts,
my intentions, and an idea of how I wanted to spend my time.
Then, after we got lunch—or dinner, depending on how you look
at it—our phones started alerting us about severe weather.
We were talking about winds reaching around 80 miles per hour
and the possibility of tornadoes.
Well, that changed the evening's agenda pretty quickly!
I started medicating the dogs, moving my plants from outside,
and searching for lanterns in case the power went out. I was trying to get
everything in order before the weather arrived.
The funny thing was that if you had looked at the sky, you
might not have thought anything serious was coming. It didn't look nearly as
threatening as the alerts made it sound.
But I believe in being safe rather than sorry. I would rather
prepare for something that never happens than wish I had taken precautions when
it's too late.
And isn't that a little like life?
Sometimes we receive warnings that something needs our
attention. Other times, everything looks perfectly fine until circumstances
change without much notice.
We can be having an ordinary day, thinking everything is under
control, when suddenly we're faced with something we never anticipated.
A phone call. A change in someone's behavior. An unexpected
expense. A difficult conversation. A responsibility we didn't plan for.
And just like that, we're adjusting.
The challenge isn't always the unexpected event itself.
Sometimes it's the fact that we were already carrying so much before it
arrived.
When your hands are full, even one additional responsibility
can feel like too much.
And that brings me to the second storm I've been navigating.
🌱 The
Storm That Doesn't Come With a Weather Alert
As if the weather weren't enough excitement for one evening,
I've also been dealing with some challenging behavior from my son.
The past couple of days haven't gone well at school or on the
bus, and we're addressing it at home.
One of the biggest issues has been spitting. He's been
spitting in places where he shouldn't, and that behavior is something we need
to work on.
First of all, it's unhygienic. Beyond that, it's a behavior
that needs to be addressed consistently so he can learn appropriate boundaries
in different environments.
And honestly? I don't know exactly why it started.
When you're raising a child on the autism spectrum, behavior
can sometimes be complicated. There may be communication difficulties, sensory
needs, frustration, changes in routine, or other factors that aren't
immediately obvious. Sometimes you have to do a little detective work to
understand what's happening beneath the surface.
That doesn't mean every behavior should be ignored or that
boundaries don't matter.
It means we have to work toward understanding the behavior
while still teaching appropriate expectations.
And that balance can be exhausting.
I don't get on my son about every little thing. But when it
comes to behavior at school and on the bus, I take it seriously. I want him to
be safe, to respect the people around him, and to learn the skills he needs to
navigate the world.
So yes, consequences have been put in place, including taking
away things he enjoys.
He isn't happy about it. And I'm not particularly thrilled
about having to keep addressing the same issue, either.
But parenting isn't always about making sure our children are
happy with every decision we make. Sometimes it's about helping them develop
skills and habits that will serve them as they grow.
Of course, the hard part is figuring out what lesson needs to
be taught, what support might be missing, and how to remain patient when
progress doesn't happen on the timeline we would prefer.
Because when you're already tired, repeating yourself can feel
like running a marathon that never ends.
You want to see improvement. You want your child to
understand. You want to believe that the work you're putting in today is going
to make tomorrow a little easier.
And when things seem to go backward, it's difficult not to
feel discouraged.
If you're a parent or caregiver who knows this feeling, I see
you.
You can love your child with your entire heart and still feel
frustrated. You can be committed to helping them thrive and still need a moment
to breathe.
Those feelings can exist together.
They don't cancel out your love. They remind you that you're
human, too.
🌿 The
Moment the Sky Changed
While all of this was happening, my son wanted to spend some
time outside.
At that point, the sky still didn't look particularly
threatening, so I let him enjoy some time outdoors while keeping an eye on him
through the camera.
Then I saw lightning.
That was my cue. Time to come inside.
Not long afterward, the storm arrived.
It was already dark, and the rain was coming down sideways.
The sirens were going off, the power flickered on and off three times, and the
whole evening became a reminder of just how quickly things can change.
The dogs could hear the storm, too. My big one decided that
underneath my bed was the safest place in the entire house.
Honestly, I couldn't blame him for wanting a little extra
security!
Eventually, the worst of the storm passed our area. We still
had power, although it had interrupted itself several times, and we were
fortunate to get through the evening without knowing of any major damage to our
home.
I won't know what happened to the plants and everything else
outside until morning.
For now, all I can do is wait until it's safe to check.
And somewhere between the weather alerts, the lanterns, the
frightened dog, the parenting challenges, and my abandoned writing plans, I
realized something.
I was trying to manage several things that I couldn't
completely control.
I could prepare for the weather, but I couldn't change its
direction.
I could establish boundaries with my son, but I couldn't force
him to learn every lesson immediately.
I could make plans for my evening, but I couldn't guarantee
that life would cooperate.
There was a lot I could do, but there was also a lot I had to
allow to unfold.
That distinction matters more than we sometimes realize.
✨ Learning
the Difference Between Responsibility and Control
There's a difference between taking responsibility for what is
ours to manage and believing we have to control every outcome.
Responsibility asks us to take reasonable action.
Control demands certainty.
Responsibility says, “Let me prepare, make wise choices, and
do what I can.”
Control says, “I need everything to work out exactly as I
planned, or I won't be able to relax.”
One leaves room for faith. The other can leave us emotionally
exhausted.
That evening, I could gather supplies, move the plants, bring
my son inside when I saw lightning, and keep everyone as safe as possible.
Those were my responsibilities.
But I couldn't stop the storm from passing through.
In the same way, I can work with my son, communicate with his
school, look for patterns in his behavior, and establish consistent
expectations. I can seek support when needed and adjust my approach when
something isn't working.
What I cannot do is guarantee that every day will bring
immediate progress.
That realization doesn't remove the frustration, but it gives
me somewhere healthier to place it.
Maybe you've been facing a situation like that yourself.
Perhaps you've been praying about a family member, trying to
repair a relationship, looking for a new job, or waiting for circumstances to
change.
You've done what you know to do. You've made the calls, had
the conversations, offered the help, and tried to make the right decisions.
Yet the outcome remains uncertain.
What if this is an invitation to stop measuring your entire
journey by the things you cannot yet change?
What if you could acknowledge the progress you've made without
pretending the remaining work doesn't exist?
And what if trusting God doesn't mean you have to feel
peaceful every second, but instead means you can bring Him your frustration,
uncertainty, and exhaustion without feeling ashamed of any of it?
Faith doesn't require us to pretend we're unbothered.
Sometimes faith sounds like a beautiful prayer. Sometimes it
sounds like, “Lord, please help me, because I am running out of patience.”
Both can be honest conversations with God.
And sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is admit that
we need help carrying what is in front of us.
🙏 God,
Please Give Me Patience
I'm praying for patience.
Not the kind of patience that looks good in a quote on social
media. I'm talking about the patience I need when I've explained something more
than once, when a difficult behavior continues, when I'm tired of correcting
the same issue, and when I have other responsibilities competing for my
attention.
I'm praying for the ability to respond instead of react.
Because I know that when I'm overwhelmed, my patience can
become thinner than I'd like. Things that might not bother me on a calmer day
can feel ten times heavier when I'm already stretched.
And that's something I have to pay attention to.
I don't want my frustration with one situation to spill into
another. I don't want exhaustion to determine how I speak to the people I love.
I don't want a difficult day to convince me that I'm failing when, in reality,
I'm a human being navigating a demanding season.
I also have to remember that my son is learning, too.
His journey may not look like someone else's. His progress may
not follow a straight line. And while that doesn't mean we abandon
expectations, it does mean I have to remain willing to understand what is
happening and find effective ways to support him.
Patience doesn't mean doing nothing.
Sometimes patience means taking a step back before addressing
a problem. Sometimes it means seeking another perspective. Sometimes it means
holding a boundary while approaching the situation with curiosity rather than
anger.
And sometimes it means recognizing that I need a break before
I can be the parent I want to be in that moment.
We often talk about giving other people grace, but we need to
leave some room for ourselves, too.
Not as an excuse to avoid responsibility, but as an
opportunity to approach our responsibilities with a clearer mind and a softer
heart.
If you've been carrying a lot lately, please remember that you
are allowed to need support.
You are allowed to acknowledge that something is difficult.
You are allowed to pray for strength before the next
conversation, the next appointment, the next school day, or the next decision.
You don't have to wait until you're completely depleted to ask
God for help.
🚶🏽♀️ Taking the Next Faithful
Step
So, where do we go from here when the first storm has passed
but another challenge is waiting?
We begin with what is right in front of us.
Not everything that needs our attention has to be solved
tonight.
Here are a few things I'm reminding myself of, and perhaps
they might help you, too.
1. Deal with what is urgent first.
When severe weather threatens, safety comes before writing a
blog post. When emotions are running high, taking a moment to settle yourself
may be more helpful than trying to resolve every disagreement immediately.
Ask yourself what genuinely needs your attention now and what
can wait.
Everything may feel important, but not everything is equally
urgent.
2. Look for understanding, not just an immediate
solution.
With challenging behavior, especially when communication or
sensory needs may be involved, it can help to look for patterns. What happened
before the behavior? What was happening around the child? Is there a way to
communicate the expectation more clearly?
Consistent boundaries and compassionate curiosity can work
together.
We don't always need to choose between accountability and
understanding.
3. Give yourself permission to adjust the plan.
I didn't get this post written when I intended to. That's
okay.
The evening took a different turn, and responding to what was
happening mattered more than sticking to my original schedule.
Sometimes the plan needs to change because life requires
something different from us.
That isn't necessarily a setback. It may simply be a moment to
practice flexibility.
4. Make room for recovery.
After a stressful event, we sometimes move immediately to the
next responsibility without allowing ourselves to come down from the
experience.
But our bodies and minds need time to settle.
A quiet cup of tea, a few minutes of prayer, a little music,
or sitting somewhere peaceful can give us a chance to breathe before moving
forward.
Rest isn't a reward we have to earn by finishing every task.
It's part of caring for the person who has to keep showing up.
5. Measure progress with honesty.
Some days, progress looks like a major breakthrough.
Other days, it looks like recognizing a problem sooner, asking
for help, responding more calmly, or choosing not to give up after a difficult
moment.
And sometimes progress means admitting that the current
approach isn't working and being willing to try something different.
We don't have to pretend everything is improving to remain
hopeful.
We can acknowledge what's hard while still believing that
growth is possible.
Tomorrow, I will assess whatever damage the storm left behind,
continue addressing what is happening with my son, and take the next step as it
comes.
I don't have all the answers tonight.
But I don't need every answer to take the next wise step.
❤️ A
Moment to Sit With Yourself
Before you move on to the next thing demanding your attention,
take a moment to breathe.
You don't have to answer these questions perfectly. Let them
be an invitation to an honest conversation with yourself and with God.
- What
storm am I currently navigating, and how has it affected me emotionally?
- Am I
spending more energy trying to control an outcome than taking
responsibility for what I can actually do?
- Where
do I need patience, and where might I need a different approach or
additional support?
- What
am I expecting of myself that may not be realistic for this particular
season of my life?
- What
is one small, faithful step I can take without demanding that I solve
everything today?
Sit with whatever comes up.
You don't need to rush toward an answer or turn every
difficult feeling into a lesson immediately.
Sometimes understanding arrives when we finally give ourselves
enough quiet to hear what our hearts have been trying to tell us.
And if all you can offer God tonight is an honest sigh and a
simple prayer, let that be enough for this moment.
🙏 A Prayer
for the Storms We Cannot Control
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being present in the moments when life feels
uncertain. Thank You for the protection we sometimes recognize immediately and
the grace we may only understand later.
Lord, please give me patience when I feel overwhelmed. Help me
respond with wisdom when situations test my emotions, and give me discernment
to know when to stand firm, when to adjust, and when to ask for help.
Please cover our families and homes with Your protection.
Bring comfort to those who are frightened, strength to those who are weary, and
peace to those who have been carrying more than they know how to express.
Help us remember that we don't have to control every outcome
to walk faithfully through our circumstances.
When another challenge appears, remind us that we can pause,
pray, and take one step at a time.
And when we fall short of the patience we hoped to have, help
us begin again with humility, compassion, and grace.
In Jesus' name, Amen. 🤍
🤍 Five
Affirmations for Difficult Days
Take a deep breath and speak these words over yourself. Let
them be gentle reminders when the day feels heavier than expected.
1. I can
face uncertainty without needing to control everything.
2. I give
myself permission to pause, breathe, and begin again.
3. I can
hold healthy boundaries while leading with compassion.
4. My
difficult days do not define my worth or erase my progress.
5. With
God's help, I can take the next faithful step.
You don't have to feel every affirmation fully right now.
Sometimes the words simply give us something hopeful to hold on to until our
hearts are ready to believe them.
📖 Bible
Verse
Psalm 46:1 (KJV)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble.”
I love the reminder that God is not only a source of strength
when we look back on a difficult season. He is a present help in the middle of
it.
Not just after the storm has passed.
Not just when we've figured everything out.
Not just when we've finally managed to calm our emotions and
put our lives back in order.
He is present in the middle.
When the sirens are sounding. When the power flickers. When
we're worried about our children. When our patience is wearing thin. When we're
sitting in the quiet after a difficult day, wondering how we're going to manage
tomorrow.
This verse doesn't promise that we will never experience
trouble. Instead, it reminds us where we can turn when trouble comes.
God's presence can become the place where we gather ourselves,
seek wisdom, and find the strength to keep going.
Putting this Scripture into practice: The next
time you feel overwhelmed, pause before responding to the situation. Take a
slow breath and pray, “God, be my refuge in this moment. Help me see what needs
my attention and give me the wisdom to respond well.”
Then take the next practical step.
Faith and action can walk hand in hand. We can pray for
protection and prepare for a storm. We can pray for patience and work toward
better ways of responding. We can trust God while acknowledging that we still
have responsibilities to fulfill.
Sometimes His help meets us in the quiet of prayer. Sometimes
it comes through a supportive person, a new perspective, or the courage to ask
for assistance.
We may not know how every situation will unfold, but we can
keep returning to the One who gives us strength along the way.
🎵 Song of the Day:
“Have You
Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
There's something about
this song that feels especially fitting for today's reflection. After an
evening of severe weather alerts, sideways rain, flashing lightning, and power
interruptions, the title alone hits a little differently.
But beyond the literal
storm, this song also brings to mind those seasons of life when things feel
unsettled. The moments when we're doing our best to hold everything together,
yet we can sense that something is changing around us.
Sometimes the storms in
our lives are easy to recognize. They arrive with warning signs, unexpected
challenges, and circumstances that demand our immediate attention. Other times,
the storm is happening quietly within us. It's the frustration we're trying to
manage, the worries we carry for our children, or the exhaustion that builds
when one challenge seems to follow another.
And sometimes, the rain
falls even when we thought the skies were clearing.
That's the part of life
I'm sitting with today. Just because one difficult moment has passed doesn't
mean everything immediately returns to normal. Sometimes we have to give
ourselves time to recover, regroup, and find our footing before we're ready to
face whatever comes next.
As you listen to this
classic, take a moment to reflect on the storms you've weathered and the
strength you've discovered along the way. Think about the times you kept going
even when you felt tired, the moments you had to surrender what you couldn't
control, and the faith that helped you make it through another day.
You don't have to
pretend the rain isn't falling to believe that you can find your way through
it.
Let the music remind you
that life's seasons change, emotions come and go, and even difficult chapters
can teach us something about ourselves.
And when another storm
arrives, may you remember to pause, breathe, pray, and give yourself the same
grace you so freely offer others. 🤍
🌼 Final
Thoughts: Tomorrow Can Begin Again
As I sit here writing this, the storm has passed through our
area, but I still have things to figure out.
I'll have to check on my plants in the morning. I'll continue
working with my son and addressing the behavior that's been challenging us.
I'll probably have another list of things to do before the day is over.
That's life sometimes.
We don't always get a clean ending to one challenge before the
next responsibility begins. Sometimes we have to carry unfinished business into
tomorrow and trust ourselves to keep working through it.
But tonight, I'm choosing to recognize that we made it through
a difficult evening.
The storm came, and we took the precautions we could. We got
through it. For that, I'm grateful.
The parenting challenges are still there, and I won't pretend
they're easy. I am tired, and I need patience. I need wisdom. I need the kind
of grace that allows me to keep showing up without expecting myself to be
superhuman.
And maybe that's the reminder I needed tonight.
I don't have to turn every difficult experience into a
beautiful story while I'm still living through it.
Sometimes I can simply say, “Today was hard.”
Sometimes I can admit that I'm frustrated, that I'm worried,
or that I wish things were easier.
Sometimes I can leave the lesson for another day and allow
myself to rest.
There is nothing wrong with that.
If you're going through a difficult season, I hope you will
give yourself that same permission. You don't have to force a smile when your
heart needs a moment to breathe. You don't have to pretend you're not tired
just because other people depend on you.
You can be grateful and overwhelmed at the same time. You can
have faith and still feel uncertain. You can love your family deeply and still
need a little space to gather your thoughts.
None of those things makes you less faithful or less capable.
They make you human.
So if one storm has passed and another is waiting on the
horizon, take a breath. Prepare where you can. Seek help when you need it. Pray
when you feel uncertain. And remember that you are allowed to take this journey
one day at a time.
I hope tomorrow brings a little more ease, a little more
understanding, and a reason to smile.
And if tomorrow is another challenging day, may we meet it
with a little more patience than we had yesterday.
That's my prayer for myself, and it's my prayer for you, too.
May God protect your home, steady your heart, strengthen your
spirit, and remind you that you don't have to navigate every storm alone.
One breath. One prayer. One faithful step at a time.
With love and gratitude,
Angel 🤍
AMC Rise and Thrive
🤍 Support
This Space
If today's reflection encouraged your heart, strengthened your
faith, or reminded you that you're not walking this journey alone, thank you
for spending part of your day here.
If you'd like to help this space continue growing, you're
welcome to support AMC Rise and Thrive through Ko-fi. Every contribution helps
me continue creating faith-centered reflections, spiritual encouragement, and
messages of hope for this beautiful community.
There is never any pressure—your presence here is already a
gift, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you.
Support AMC Rise and Thrive 🤍
If this message resonated with you, consider sharing it with
someone who may need these words today. You never know how God may use a simple
act of kindness to encourage another heart.
Keep trusting His timing. We can't rush what He is preparing,
but we can remain open, faithful, and willing to walk where He leads.
#FaithOverFear #ParentingWithGrace #TrustGodsTiming
#FindingPeace #AMCRiseAndThrive
Explore more: AMC Rise
and Thrive | Chakra
Quiz | Subscribe | Calendar | Label
Guide | Playlist | AMC Rise and Thrive Top 20 | The
Sacred Seasons Collection | One Full
Year of AMC Rise and Thrive | The
Zodiac Wisdom Collection
Comments
Post a Comment