It’s almost inevitable that we go through seasons where life’s problems come at us like tornadoes. We don’t expect them or ask them to come, but they show up.
To be honest, some storms we bring on ourselves. I know I’ve walked right into a few tornadoes that weren’t even chasing me. In fact, I once ran into one head-on.
It was a beautiful day during our time living in the Dominican Republic. At 16, I had a crush on a girl from another town, which I thought my mom knew nothing about. (Spoiler: she knew more than I realized.) During that season, presidential elections were taking place, and political rallies often broke out, sometimes turning violent.
That day, I wanted to ride my bike to see the girl. But when I told my mom I was just going to stay around town, she made me confirm my intentions. She warned me about the dangers of rallies and made me promise not to go far. I said I wouldn’t. But instead of listening, I pointed my bike straight toward the highway.
Sure enough, a rally was blocking the road, with people chanting, others shouting back, flags waving, and chaos everywhere. I went straight through it. When I returned home, my parents were talking about the news: someone had been seriously injured by a gunshot during a rally. And guess where? It was exactly where I had been.
That could have been me. I had ignored my mother’s counsel and walked into a tornado that could have had catastrophic results.
Fast forward to today, I sometimes still make decisions that lead me straight into storms. The result? Tough seasons filled with health struggles, financial pressures, and moments of deep self-doubt.
But here’s what I’ve learned: no matter the storm, the ones we can’t control or the ones we cause, what matters most is having the right structures in place to withstand the impact.
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Engineers design tornado-resistant buildings with features like:
Each of these requires intentional design, planning, and maintenance.
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Just as buildings need solid engineering, believers need intentional spiritual structures. Without making an effort to strengthen our faith, we cannot endure life’s challenges. Here are some essentials:
Think of this list as a spiritual inspection checklist. Just like a building inspector checks the strength of walls, windows, and foundations, we need to regularly examine our own “structures.” Here’s a simple way to do it:
Don’t rush or skim. Please take a moment to read through each section and pause. Ask: Do I have this structure in place? If so, how strong is it right now?
Use a scale of 1–5 for each item (1 = weak or non-existent, 5 = strong and consistent). Be truthful—this is between you and God.
Just like a roof leak needs urgent repair, notice the areas where your foundation is most vulnerable.
Don’t try to fix everything at once. Choose one category to strengthen this week—maybe committing to daily prayer or reaching out to a trusted friend for accountability.
Storms can come at any time, so don’t wait for the winds to blow before checking your foundation. Make this assessment a monthly or quarterly habit.
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Storms will come. Tornadoes will hit. But we can withstand even the fiercest winds when we firmly build our foundation on Christ and reinforce it through spiritual disciplines, community, and a godly perspective.
Like a city designed to endure, your life in Christ can stand strong, not because the tornado never comes, but because the foundation cannot be shaken.
“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” — Proverbs 10:25