I sat at the lake watching the waves crash against the breakwater
Surrounded by the wilderness of winter, the lake shook violently
The angry wind grabbed ahold of the water pushing it forward
Relentlessly tossing it in my direction on the shore
I was mezmerized by the force that couldn’t be controlled
Sometimes lately I feel like I’m out in the middle of that big lake
Being tossed to and fro, back and forth, buffeted by the force of a storm
I’d like to go back to an easier place, I thought
But I caught myself and steadied my thoughts. I can’t go back, not even to yesterday
I knew that deep in my soul. And then I heard a quiet voice
It was The Still Small Voice speaking to my soul
“The only way is forward. Adjust your sails.”
There’s really not many new truths to learn in this wilderness storm
Only a repositioning, a growing deeper in lessons learned through other storms
I cannot control the way the wind is blowing
The way it’s pushing the water into giant, forceful waves
I can allow the fatigue, the weariness to undo me
Let my hope turn to despair and succumb to the storm
Give it permission to drown me in oppressive thoughts
Or I can choose to adjust my sails and catch the powerful breath of God
And allow His Holy Spirit to aid in moving me forward
I will not focus on the waves, the wind, the storm
I will adjust my sails
Blessings,
*My photo was taken on the shore of Lake Michigan
Pens and Journals 
Beautiful poem and photograph. I remember going to Lake Michigan as a child and thinking how big it was. Just like an ocean! And I remember tramping over the sand dunes. My great-great-grandfather was a lighthouse keeper. (not sure how many “greats”) Good times.
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Wow, that’s an interesting story about your great-great-grandfather, Dawn. Just by standing on the shore of Lake Michigan, you’d never know if it was a lake or an ocean. I’m glad you had the chance to visit the big lake and have some good memories. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Oh, my dear friend, I feel and identity with what you have written. The storms are powerful….no doubt about that, but,as we know, nothing is as powerful as our God. Keep looking forward and up. Love you two so much.
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The power of God in the middle of the storms is what gets us through them. Thank you, Bonnie. Love you too!
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This is perhaps the most beautiful post I have read lately, and it speaks volumes to me, because I have been in a storm the last eight days, feeling little relief. Yet knowing that God is hearing my prayers and trusting that He is working on the situation. Thank you Nancy for this most wonderful reading. I’m going to pull it into my computer to read again and again.
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I’m so glad it spoke to you, Mary. There are days when relief doesn’t seem to come but like you said … God is hearing our prayers and we can trust He’s working on the situation. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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Wow, what a powerful poem and analogy, Nancy! I love how well you capture the feeling of being tired of the storm, listening to the “The Still Small Voice” and the opening to the solution of adjusting your sails to catch God’s wind. So beautiful and inspirating!
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Thank you so much, Wynne. I always appreciate your comments and encouragement.
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So beautiful! I love the line about adjusting your sails and catching the powerful breath of God. This is so beautifully written, and it has such an important message. Day by day, we must move forward, knowing that God will help and guide us.
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Yes, God will help and guide us. At times the journey can be rough but with God it’s always possible. Thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comment, Linda.
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So beautiful, so true,
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Thank you so much,Terri ❤️
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Thank you Nancy for that powerful word picture -“I can choose to adjust my sails and catch the powerful breath of God And allow His Holy Spirit to aid in moving me forward.” How we respond in a storm is a choice but ohhh the pull to succumb to the waves is so strong! As your words so clearly point out- “You dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
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I love that verse. We overcome because of His Spirit in us and need to remember that when we feel we’re being swept away by the storms of life. Thank you for your comment, Beth.
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What a beautiful analogy of our lives in Christ! Adjust our sails and keep moving forward in Him. Only in His power, “the powerful breath of God” can we do that. So beautifully written Nancy! And as always, a beautiful photo to go along with it! Thank You!
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There are days when the storms of life threaten to undo us but by the grace of God and His Spirit we will overcome! Thank you for commenting, Judy.
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Just beautiful writing and so true to our lives. Thank you!
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Thank you for reading and for taking the time to leave me a comment, Ruth.
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Dear Nancy, these are wonderful words for a world that’s in the middle of too many storms. Amen to adjusting our sails to catch the “powerful breath of God.”
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
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Thank you, Wendy. My heart is heavy with the weight of the storms right now. How we need the the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit, not just personally, but world-wide. Sending love ❤️
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Nancy, as always your writing inspires my heart. We forget how important it is to set our sails forward so that we can move forward. A beautiful poem, Nancy, simply beautiful!
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Thank you, Andy. I really appreciate your encouragement.
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