Life's most profound spiritual lessons often emerge not from our moments of strength, but from our experiences of complete vulnerability. This truth became devastatingly clear to me on July 4, 2025, when my sweet grand-twins, were caught in the catastrophic Guadalupe River flood while attending summer camps in the Texas Hill Country. What began as an ordinary summer experience transformed into sixteen hours of paralyzing fear, desperate prayers, and ultimately, an unexpected encounter with God's presence in the midst of chaos.
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The crisis unfolded around 3 am, when flash flooding caused the Guadalupe River to rise with terrifying speed and destructive force. By sunrise, news reports confirmed our worst fears: Camp Mystic, where my granddaughter was staying, had been hit hardest. Roads were destroyed, communications were down, and some children had been swept away by floodwaters that rose an astonishing 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Camp La Junta, where my grandson was staying, was also affected. The uncertainty was excruciating – all we had was a generic email blast indicating that unless parents had received a specific call stating otherwise, their children were safe. But what did "safe" really mean in such catastrophic circumstances? Were they dry, terrified, or experiencing trauma that would affect them for years to come?
In those agonizing hours of waiting, I discovered something profound about faith and doubt. As a pastor, I've often stood beside others during their darkest moments, offering prayers and scripture for comfort. Yet nothing prepared me for sitting in my own crisis, when my prayers dissolved into raw, one-word cries: "Jesus, help" or simply "Please." It was in this spiritual fog – this place of uncertainty, confusion, and emotional exhaustion – that I encountered God's presence in an amazing way. Scripture reminds us that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1), and in those hours of waiting, this verse transformed from familiar words into my lived experience.
What made this experience even more remarkable was learning that God had been orchestrating intercession before the crisis even began. A clergy colleague reached out to share that two weeks prior, she had experienced a dream about a grandmother whose grandchildren – a boy and a girl – were missing from camp. Without knowing who needed the prayers, she had begun interceding immediately. This foreshadowing, this divine prompting of the Holy Spirit, revealed that even when we cannot see God's hand at work, He is mobilizing resources and people on our behalf. When the news finally came that both grandchildren were safe and reunited with their parents, my tears of fear transformed into tears of profound gratitude.
Yet our family's joy was tempered by the knowledge that some campers didn't make it home. Some families faced the unimaginable loss that we had been spared. This is the complex reality of faith in a broken world – we live where both gratitude and grief coexist, where praise and lament share the same sacred space. Those who experienced loss are not forgotten, not alone, and not without our continued prayers. God holds their grief with the same tenderness that He holds our gratitude. As Psalm 126:5 reminds us, "Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy." Even in our deepest pain, there is the promise of redemption, though it may not come in the ways or timing we expect.
From this experience, I've identified five spiritual anchors that can sustain us during life's storms: First, practice breath prayers – simple phrases synchronized with your breathing, like inhaling to "Jesus, you are near" and exhaling to "I trust you now." Second, repeat one scripture continually, such as "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted" (Psalm 34:18). Third, intentionally look for God's presence by asking, "Where did I see God today?" Fourth, let worship music speak when words fail you. And fifth, use sacred aromas like frankincense to create sensory reminders of God's presence. These practices don't require extensive theological training or hours of time – they simply create space for authentic connection with a God who meets us in our most vulnerable moments.
If you feel that this might be a good time to focus in on your daily devotional rhythm, why not book an Aroma of Christ Coaching session with me? Visit PaulaBehrens.com/coaching to learn more.
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