It's been nearly a year and a half since I wrote an article for this column titled "Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled."

The article's encouragement was to look beyond the storm clouds of life, whatever might come our way. When I wrote that article, the war with Iraq was just around the corner. The 9/11 attacks had come, and the war on terrorism was ongoing—with consequences still not yet known to this day. Beyond that, I illustrated that the prophecies of the Bible indicate a yet incredible time of future conflict between nations before the rescuing intervention of Jesus Christ. I pointed out that on top of all the exterior "goings-on-of-life," our own personal worlds could be a little wobbly if not downright crumbling.

The reality stated in the article is simply that, left to us, our faith can become paralyzed. The scripture that I anchored the article around, found in John 14:27, fortifies us with the direct message from the mouth of Jesus: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

As I concluded that article, I shared the story of how my wife and I, along with our grandchildren, watched a thunder and lightning storm from our back porch doorway. What at first seemed like a scary event to our two granddaughters ultimately became an object lesson to all of us—that as scary as things may seem to be, God was not apart from the storm, but above the storm and in control!

Little did I realize that nearly a year later I would receive a letter from an individual who had been through a storm with incredible life-altering experiences, one that moves far beyond a simple chat with granddaughters under the protective cover of a back porch. He had read my story. And now, he wanted to share his story. They are not two stories, but one, belonging to God. Upon reading his letter, I called him on the phone and asked if one day I might share it with a broader audience. He said, "Sure."

When lightning struck first

In his letter, this man shared how when he was 13, his older brother, then 22, was cut down by a bolt of lightning. He died within seconds. The traumatic effects from that life-altering moment endured for nearly 25 years.

Like a pebble in a pond, the ripple effect touched every member of the family. His two younger brothers "left the church" (his words) that day, even though they attended for another seven years till they were 18. To this day, those siblings are still searching for a meaning to life that continues to elude them. But that's only a part of the story, and before you offer the younger brothers some good advice, let me share some more of what happened that day.

From that one incident, another brother was burned over 90 percent of his body with third-degree burns. Even though he lost a finger because of the bolt of electricity, his physical scars are now almost invisible. Today, he is a person of faith and a successful artist. But life has twists and turns, and there is still "more to the story." Yet another brother was struck by the lightning that day, and he lived a "crazy and nomadic" life and eventually took his own life just three years ago. Just imagine, a single bolt of lightning had a decidedly different effect on six separate lives.

As the gentleman mentioned to me in his letter, "For my brothers and me, the one commonality that the tragedy additionally rendered was a fear of electricity, and an extra dose of fear for lightning and thunderstorms." In his own words, "such a living reality crippled my life for a quarter of a century, and when lightning tore across the sky, only a crushing cloud of hopelessness, fear and despair would be mine."

Naturally and quite humanly, all of this was an extension of that shocking picture frozen in the depths of his mind—for he, alone, had witnessed that life-crushing bolt that took his brother from him. Such was the power of that exhausting grip of fear which the lightning had struck into his natural senses.

And then, in the pages of this publication, he read the article "Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled." It was at that point, after reading the article, that a loving God did something wonderful. He opened up the reader's understanding! The man knelt down, prayed and thanked God as he came to realize that God was not apart from the storm, but in control; not only of the elements, but of his destiny.

Just think of it! What an amazing miracle occurred. It didn't mean that the man's brothers would be brought back—at least, not yet. But the man could confidently step forward and give his future to God, and not look over his shoulder for a lightning bolt.

How to make sense out of the blows of life

Just like this man, at times the blows of this lifetime can devastate each of us. Sometimes it may be lightning, and at other times it can be physical, financial, emotional or spiritual blows that we receive from others. Sometimes it can be a self-inflicted blow. At times, we can simply wonder: Does God know what's going on? Does He even care? Perhaps the following illustration will best explain God's great love even when we cannot readily perceive it.

Many years ago, there was found in an African mine the most magnificent diamond in the world's history. It was presented to the king of England to blaze in his state crown. The king sent it to Amsterdam to be cut. It was put into the hands of an expert diamond cutter. And what do you suppose he did with it? He took this gem of precious value and put a notch in it. Then he struck a hard blow with his instrument and, lo, the superb jewel lay in his hand cleft in two.

Did he do this out of recklessness, wastefulness or criminal carelessness? Not at all! For weeks that blow had been studied and planned. Drawings and models had been made of the gem. Its qualities, its defects, its lines of cleavage had all been studied with great care. The man to whom it was committed was one of the most skillful diamond cutters in the world.

Had that blow been a mistake? No! It was the climax of the diamond cutter's skill. When he stuck that blow, he did the one thing that would bring the gem to its most perfect shape, radiance and splendor. That blow, which seemed to ruin the superb precious stone, was, in fact, its perfect redemption. From those two halves came two magnificent gems, which the skilled eye of the diamond cutter saw hidden in the rough, uncut stone that came from the mine.

Sometimes God lets a stinging blow fall upon our lives. Yes, the blood spurts, the nerves wince and the soul cries out in agony. For the moment, the blow seems to be an appalling mistake. But it is not, for we are priceless jewels to God. And He is the most skilled diamond cutter.

The power of prayer

Is your life seemingly in ruins? Has God made one big mistake after another with you? Has He seemed to act at your spiritual and emotional expense? Then read on, please. What perhaps seemed senseless to a 13-year-old boy now has taken on great meaning. The power of prayer muted the power of a lightning bolt.

Since that prayer nearly 18 months ago now, the gentleman has never been frightened or debilitated by the power of a storm. In fact, he described how recently he and his wife had enjoyed watching from the window of their hotel room the awesome power and beauty of a storm as it unfolded all around them.

He mentioned that as he watched, he again prayed, as he does now with every storm, a prayer of thanksgiving to God for "being in the storm," for being all-powerful, for caring as He does and being so protecting. And then he added, "I no longer pray in fear, but in faith."

It's a faith that moves beyond what he knows to what he does. The gentleman went on to mention in his letter that before he had read the article, he had never removed the faceplate of an electrical outlet, because his great fear from the past was strangling his present.

But now, he recently had remodeled his entire bathroom, including all the wiring, putting in the junction boxes, lighting and switches. Today, he has a healthy respect for electricity, but he no longer fears it.

When lightning strikes again

The gentleman concluded his letter by sharing his hope for a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, when lightning strikes again—everywhere! It is an electrifying prophecy that he does not shy away from, but one that he eagerly awaits.

He wrote, "I pray for the day when, as I envision it, the sky will be torn in half by the most powerful lightning storm ever to etch the sky. And Christ will show the way to walk and the world—and my brothers—will get a chance to start all over."

Such hope, his personal hope, is imprinted in the words of Luke, which describe the prophesied return of Jesus Christ: "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day" (Luke 17:24).

As I read his letter, I could not help but be inwardly moved that God had granted this man the "peace" that Christ had promised He would leave. How did he, or how do you and I, make sense out of such senseless matters that befell his family, or for that matter our own families? God further defines the peace alluded to by Christ in John 14:27: "The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Sharing our faith, not our fears

As Christians, each of us has a story. God has called each of us to share our faith, not our fears. As the days and years come and go, there will be more strikes and blows for this man as well as for you and me.

Students of Bible prophecy and people of faith know we are entering a time about which the book of Daniel plainly states, "And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation" (Daniel 12:1).

Without perspective and without faith we could become paralyzed, just as paralyzed as our fellow reader was for much of his life. That's why today, we need to share more than our breakdowns on the road of life. We need to share the breakthroughs that a merciful God has afforded us in His time, His way and His moment in eternity.

You are familiar with the expression, "Out of the mouths of babes come words of wisdom." I want to conclude this story with the remarkable words of our reader's 2 1/2-year-old daughter, who exclaimed when a recent storm approached, "God is in the storm!" In her daddy's and in her example is this month's illustration of "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21).