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“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…”
Job 13:15 (NIV)

Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012, and my little area of the world was turned upside-down. The town bordering mine, where many of my friends and family call home, looked like someone had taken the majority of it, thrown it in a blender, added lots of sand and water, ran it on high, then dumped it back out.

It was utter and complete devastation!

Afterwards, the world seemed to descend on us with help, as we rallied around each other, and slowly the needs of those affected were met. Everyone banded together, and it was an amazing blessing to witness. Yet, years later, some were still trying to recover in one way or another.

Throughout I’ve felt a strange but strong connection to it all. Because I could relate to being a superstorm survivor, I understood. After all, I had suffered through and survived my own a few years earlier. When my husband died so suddenly, I was in a superstorm, where my life had been thrown into a blender and then dumped back out. I felt the utter devastation and had to endure the, what seemed like, unending mess.

I was blessed to have a disaster relief team too, composed of an amazing inner circle of family and friends that came in and met all our earthly needs.

The kids and I felt lost, sad, and hopeless at times. We became frustrated and angry too, just like the Sandy victims. Our recovery process was slow and often took unexpected turns as well.

At the time Sandy hit, God prompted me to study the book of Job, a portrayal of how God allowed a good man to suffer. Job was a materially and spiritually blessed man of God, who stood out (Job 1:1). Even God himself was well-pleased with this man (Job 1:8). But, God allowed satan to strip Job of everything; his family, his possessions, his land, and his health. Job was stricken with intense grief over the multitude of losses. He wound up asking the question we all have, “Why me?” That’s when God proved His power and sovereignty by appearing to Job in a storm, of all things.

What presses on me about this story is that everyone around him wanted him to blame God and turn from him, even his wife. Job had no “disaster relief team” to help during this superstorm. He was in it all alone, and those around were trying hard to pull him down. Yet, Job knew that his God, his only “disaster relief” team, was all he needed.

But Job grieved, he lamented, he cried out, he pleaded, and he even wrestled with and questioned God. In the end, God sent a clear message that He IS in control and Job yielded to His power and authority. Even when he was greatly tempted to blame God and turn from Him, his faith remained and he proclaimed, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2.

Then, Job was rewarded with even greater blessings than he had before.

Friends, losing our husbands can put us in a superstorm. The devastation and aftermath is forever imprinted on our lives. Like Job, we might feel all alone in this journey, or like me, you might be blessed to have a “disaster relief team” of friends and family to come around you.

Either way, I encourage you to remember that we do have a supernatural team that is here for us– Our God,

Our Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. And we can look to this Team to minister to us and alone see us through.

Heavenly Father, help us look to You in the midst of this storm. Help us to trust You and to seek You. Be there to guide us and to strengthen us in each moment. In Your Matchless Name, Amen.