What I Learned Through An Unexpected Conflict
Devin Stowers
There was a specific moment I felt a storm of challenges entering my life. I had no idea how to handle it and it showed no sign of getting better.
After a long sunny day at school, basketball season was over and I had nothing else to do. I dreaded going home because of my mother’s and father’s relationship. My parents were separated, even while living in the same house. The next move was divorce. I remember my mother saying, “It’s too late; it’s over.”
“That’s not fair!” I responded.
I burst out of the house, slamming the door behind me. As I walked down the street, terrible thoughts bombarded my mind, so I put my headphones in to escape my frustration. I wanted the music to block out the storm I was facing, but there was one line in a song God used to comfort me when I least expected it.
“I look to Jesus when my back is up against the wall, I guarantee that He won’t let me fall” (Canton Jones, “I Won’t Stop”).
As I listened to that song, it gave me a confidence that no matter what happened God wouldn’t let me fall. I was able to go back home with hope that God was with me every step of the way.
God Gives Comfort
The more I read the Bible after hearing what my mom said, the more God comforted me. God did not remove the difficult experience and pain I was feeling, but He was with me through it.
Jesus walked with me during this time, like He was with Peter through a terrifying and devastating storm on a lake (Matthew 14:25-33). We never know when a frustrating conflict will hit, but we do know that Jesus walks with us and gives us rest (Matthew 11:28-30).
God Gives Community
When I faced the uncomfortable reality of my parents’ separation, I knew I could not do life alone. Because of my church family, I never felt alone during my storm.
When we surround ourselves with people who follow Jesus, God strengthens us through our unexpected storms. Even Jesus looked to God and His closest friends when He was going through a moment of overwhelming pressure (Luke 22:39-44).
God Gives Hope
When I kept my eyes on Jesus and leaned on others, I was able to trust God more through my storm. It was not easy, but I wanted to believe that in all things, God works for good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I took God at His word, believed He was still working in my life and my parents’ lives, and I invited my parents to church. Over time, God began restoring their marriage.
Our circumstances aren’t instantly perfected, but Jesus gives us His presence through the storms we face. No matter how big the challenges, God is bigger and will see us through.