Rejoice in the Storm

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, June 15th, 2025:
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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Romans
5.1-5

​Brothers and sisters: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

I recall lamenting to a friend once that the Lord must really trust me because I certainly seemed to find myself in the midst of a lot of storms. I went on to say that while I know that suffering builds character, I felt that I was already enough of a character so the suffering could stop any time.

It took many years and more storms for me to come to understand the gift of being able to rejoice in the midst of the storm, and the true meaning of character producing hope. Saint Paul is telling us here that no matter what we might be experiencing, we can be confident in the promise that God is with us and that we can live in the hope that we will share in His glory because He has chosen us and loves us. Each time we experience suffering, we become stronger and grow in endurance – standing steadfast in the knowledge that He will be with us through it, and no matter what the outcome, we will have peace.

Looking back now I see how the truth of this scripture played out in my life. As a younger person I thought I’d never survive things like the loss of a beloved pet, a breakup with a boy, the fracture of a friendship, or not getting that job I really wanted. Well, I did survive, becoming more resilient with each life experience. As I matured as a Christian, I started to understand that many of these experiences happened because I wasn’t following God’s will for my life, yet He was still there… loving me. Life went on, and the storms got bigger and more impactful. The suicide of my only brother, several heartbreaking miscarriages, and the deaths of both my parents. I won’t pretend there wasn’t anguish and grief in these situations, but there was also peace. With each situation, I knew that I had already suffered what I thought was the most devastating pain I could endure, and while life may have changed because of a specific event, not only was I always ok, but I was also stronger and more peaceful. God was with me, comforting me and strengthening my faith in His promises.

When I received a diagnosis of cancer a few years ago, my husband let me have my tearful moment and then spoke these words. He said, “No matter what happens it is going to be ok. We have God and we have each other. We are going to pray for peace and acceptance.” That’s exactly what we did and is exactly what was received. For the following year as I attended appointments and had surgery and treatment, I felt this immense peace. No matter what the outcome, I was going to be ok… I was either going to fully recover, or I was going to be with my Saviour. I could live in the hope of sharing in His glory. I finally knew what it was to rejoice in the storm.




Sandy Graves​

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