Part 1: The Storms

My favorite place to visit is the ocean, when the waters are troubled, and the white caps are high. I love the smell of the clean air, the sound of the waves breaking against the rocks. I love the water mist that sprays over my face and if there happens to be a lighthouse, I love it even more. Nope, I am not a lay on the beach kind of girl, I’ll take the rocks and the bluff every time. I love the storm, the rain, the thunder, and the lightening. But what happens when the storm turns into a hurricane, a tornado or a tsunami with a force that brings with it loss of life and destruction of property? The storm loses its beauty and becomes a monster. Then we see it, the rainbow that reminds us of the Father’s promise and we know there will be calm at the end of the storm.

Tonight, I was drawn in by the beauty of the picture that hangs over our mantel. In the picture is a large, beautiful home with a lighthouse attached. It was sitting just above the bluff where the white capped waves are crashing against the rocks. The Lord began to show me the storms in my life, He reminded me of how HE is in control of the winds and the waves. In every circumstance and in every situation He was there. As I began to reflect, I was reminded of a song we use to sing, “I Don’t Need to Understand, I Just Need to Hold His Hand”. Some of the lyrics are:

I don’t even need to know the reason why,
For I know He’ll make a way
Through the night and through the day
I don’t need to understand
I just need to hold His hand.

We can all go back to that one storm that we thought was our monster storm–the one that brought us to our knees. This storm caused us to cry out, “Abba, Father can you hear me? My very soul is being crushed against the rocks.” It is then He whispers in His small, sweet voice and reminds us of His promises.

In September of 2021, my husband, Jeff came home from work not feeling well, he assured me that he just needed to rest. Around 10 pm, I heard the Lord say, “go check on him one more time”. He was completely unresponsive. I called 911 and was grateful for their quick response. Jeff was transported by ambulance, his sugar was over 900, while in ER he suffered a heart attack. For the next three days and nights, every conversation with the doctors was negative—increasingly eroding hope. At one point they told me I should start making arrangements for his demise. On the ninth day Jeff walked out of that hospital as a new man and continues to defy the odds. All of the Glory goes to Adonai! Verses in Isaiah tell of the Lord’s faithfulness:

Isaiah 43:2-3 AMP
2  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3  “For I am the LORD your God,
The, Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:2-3).

We have a saying in our family, “the devil fights the hardest where he fears the most”.

From September 2021–starting two days after my husband was released from the hospital– to April 2022 (7 months), 3 of my 7 adult children were in the hospital. Like revolving doors, one would get out of the hospital, and another would go in, all needing surgery. On February 14, 2022, I was hospitalized for 5 days needing emergency surgery. All of this happened during the pandemic, yet my faith soared, because of the miracle the Lord had done for my husband. I had no doubt that I would recover, and I believed that my children would follow suit.

Last year on April 23, 2022, the Lord wrapped His loving arms around my first born, my kindhearted, beautiful daughter and He carried her home. The Lord allowed me to be with her as she released her last breath after failing to receive several needed organs. Even in the pandemic the Lord made a way for my daughter to have her family by her side as she transitioned.

Teresa Sullivan-Washington is the founder of “Warriors of Prayer” Facebook Group. The purpose of the group is to respond to share prayer requests, testimonies and words of encouragement.