My heart has been heavy for those in the path of Laura. Earlier this week, I was anticipating Laura heading our way, and it took me back to previous storms we have gone through as a family, most recently being Harvey.

Of course, I was happy Harvey didn't come towards us, but I can't say that I am happy that it moved towards others. These storms can be terrifying. We have no control over what is going to happen. We can prepare to improve our survival and potential damage, but we cannot control the storm itself.

It actually makes me think of "storms" we experience in life. Those dark times that seem endless, terrifying and out of our control. The thing is, just as with physical storms, we do have control over some aspects of these moments as well.

Let's look at our current situation - many of us are faced with daily challenges right now. We can't properly plan for the future, we have to wear an uncomfortable mask everywhere we go and our children are dealing with an extremely different school situation this year.

No matter your stance on the current situation, we can all agree that none of this is ideal. None of this is the way we want to live our lives. Many are probably saying 'once this is all over then I will do XYZ'. Some are probably thinking this will never end. Some think it will end when a vaccine is out. Some are angry at the mention of a vaccine. Oh and then there is the upcoming election. That's a happy topic, right?

There are three things getting me through this storm.

Prayer. I have certainly had to increase my prayer time and maybe that's by design. We know that God will allow things to happen so that we lean on Him. My faith has grown through other storms and this storm is no different.

Friends and Family. Know who you can reach out to right now when you need a pick me up, or even a quick vent session. Also, be mindful that they might not share your thoughts or opinions. This has been challenging for me. People that normally align with my viewpoints don't right now, so I have had to learn to be respectful of our differing opinions.

Perspective. Some changes that have come out of this have been fine, or even welcome. However, many have felt like a gut punch. Most of the gut punch moments have come with changes that impact my kids. This has required some personal mindset work and prayer to help me shift my perspective.