The sunset after the storm.
I have been busy with family over the past week so I have not had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to write about this week. Here it is Monday afternoon, and I am just now sitting down to my keyboard. How does life get so busy?
Stormy conditions ripped through much of the country last week. For the south and Midwest that meant straight line winds up to 80 mph, rain, and tornados. Further north it meant inches of snow and cold.
Southern Mississippi has endured many storms over the past ten years since I returned to my hometown in 2013. One large storm in 2014 was a tornado that destroyed a large portion of our neighborhood. I will never forget that experience. It is certainly one I do not wish to repeat.
Our area was spared last week’s storm but friends from Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and beyond suffered trees down, loss of electricity, fences, and one dear friend had a tree fall on his vehicle while he was trying to get home. Thankfully, he was not hurt. Some areas are still without power.
Weather forecasting has advanced greatly over the years. Meteorologist have amazing technology that predicts weather patterns, and can pinpoint warnings in almost the exact spot. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had similar technology that could relay personal warnings to each of us individually?
‘Hey Joe, there is a truck about to blindside you; if you swerve to the left, you will be just fine.’
OR
‘Lisa, there is a tiny lump that you need to have seen about now.’
The storms of life can come quickly and without warning. A relationship ends, an illness is discovered, someone dies, on and on. One minute everything is fine and the next your life can be in shambles.
What to do? Not any easy question to answer at times.
What I have experienced in weathering (no pun intended) my own personal storms is to hunker down, find a safe place and pray for strength to face the aftermath with gratitude. Thus far, it has served me well.
I also try to remember the wise words of Eckhart Tolle:
“Whatever the present moment contains accept it as if you have chosen it.”
The lesson lies in that word accept.
Storms will come – from Mother Nature and from the act of living a physical life. There is no changing either of these facts. After a storm, the skies clear and become a bright blue that almost hurts your eyes. The sun shines and at the end of the day it sets in the west with a horizon full of pinks, golds, and oranges.
A reminder to be grateful, and I am. I hope you are too.
