One of my favorite songs, by Casting Crowns. I actually wear a bracelet with this engraved on it. How many actually do this? This isn’t praying that God gets us out of the storm – although that’s important too. This isn’t blaming God for the storm – although many do. This is truly Praising God during the storm. Similar to the hot dry summer months, then a day of heavy rains, at dinner we praise God for the rain. Was it difficult to be outside in the rain – yes. Was it a pain getting our clothes wet – yes. Was it hard to drive with the windshield wipers flapping across the windshield at high speed – yes. Was the rain important – YES!!! Sometimes when our personal storms come – and they will – we focus our eyes very low. We look at how the storm is negatively affecting us now. Today. This week. The troubles the storm is causing us. But storms teach us. Storms mold us. Storms work to turn us into who we are. So the next storm that comes – try praising God. Praise is different than Thanks. Praise is a concerted effort to acknowledge who God is and how important He is to us. Do I thank God for my cancer – not really. But I do praise God during my storm because God is so important to me. God is worthy of my praise. And when we praise, our hearts and our minds change. Anger, bitterness, pain diminish. And then we do find a measure of thankfulness. Maybe not for the storm itself, but for the opportunities that the storm brings. I have met people, gotten close to people, comforted people, prayed for and with people, impacted people’s lives. Because of my storm. So the next storm that comes into your world, Praise Him – acknowledge how great He is – tell Him you love Him – your storm will be different. Even though it may still be intense – a different heart will change how that storm affects you. Psalm 34:1 – I will extol the Lord at all times: His praise will alway be in my lips. “Praise You In This Storm” – try it!!!