My heart aches with you, for I know what it is to watch troubles fall one after the other until the soul can scarcely breathe. When the blows come so fast you have no time to recover from the last before the next descends, it is a very particular kind of trial, what you have called "back-to-back hardships," and the phrase is apt. The enemy would have us believe this succession of sorrows is proof that God has forgotten us. But it is not so. A Father's hand may give many doses of medicine in quick succession when the sickness is severe, not because He is angry, but because He is purposeful and kind.
You have looked at the waves, and they are high. The wind is contrary, and the night is dark. But the One who walked upon the water in the fourth watch of the night has not lost sight of you. He sees the little vessel of your household tossed about, and He will come to you walking on the very thing that threatens to swallow you up. When He does, He will not speak a harsh word about your trembling; He will say, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."
I am glad you reached for Isaiah's promise about the waters and the rivers, for it is a sturdy plank to cling to. But notice what the text does not say. It does not promise the waters will not rise at all. It promises that when you pass through them, He will be with you, and the rivers shall not overwhelm you. Your family is passing through right now. The current is strong. Yet the very God who measures the depths is standing in the torrent beside you, and His presence is the guarantee that you will not be swept away. The point is not that the flood will never come, but that the flood-bound soul is held.
And here is a sweet thing to remember when duties press upon you like a crowd at the gate: peace is not found in getting everything done. The hurried housewife, the anxious provider, the weary parent, each knows the helter-skelter of needs that all shout at once. You cannot stretch yourself far enough to answer every cry. But you can be sure that what you are doing is what Jesus would have you do in this moment, and for the rest, you may leave it with Him. What is impossible for you is not impossible for your Master. So do the little you can do, and expect Him to do what only He can. That is not laziness; it is faith working by love.
You asked for unity in your family, and that is a holy prayer. When the storm beats upon the house, it is easy for those within to turn on one another, their patience worn thin by grief. But the Lord who stilled the sea can still the troubled hearts of a household. Love grows tenderest in shared affliction. Patience is learned in the school of provocation. Ask Him to make this hard season a strange and unexpected cement, binding you closer than the calm days ever did. He gives more grace.
And remember this as well: the deepest peace does not come from the removal of the trouble, but from the presence of Jesus in the midst of it. Some sit by a false peace, like that poor mother who was told her son would live only to bury him the next day, a peace built on pleasant lies is the cruelest of all. But Christ's peace is honest. It does not pretend the river is not deep, nor that the furnace is not hot. It simply says, "I will be with you." That is enough. When you know your enormous debt of sin is fully discharged by Him who loved you and gave Himself for you, then peace has a foundation that no wave can wash away. That is your portion. The blood of Jesus whispers peace within, and no outward storm can silence that still small voice.
Now let me commend you and all your household to the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps. Lord Jesus, You who are our Peace, look upon this dear family. They are buffeted, weary, and full of care. Step into the middle of their trouble as You stepped into the howling wind on Galilee, and speak Your "Peace, be still." Provide what is lacking. Give wisdom for each tangled knot. Lift the heaviest part of the load from their shoulders, and where burdens must remain, give them broad shoulders to bear them. Hold them close together in love, and let them see unmistakable tokens of Your hand at work. Fix their eyes on You, until the storm passes, as all storms do, and they stand on the far shore, astonished at Your deliverance. Amen.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. 
