I was watching television with my youngest son yesterday when I heard a grumbling in the sky – indicating a storm was about to roll in. I quietly stood to my feet and made my way to the front porch to await the approaching weather and watch it as it drew near. At first, it appeared the storm was already passing by and that I was sitting too far south to get the experience I was expecting. The sky was a dark shade of grey to my north and I could see flashes of light toward the east. The clouds appeared to be moving in an eastward direction. When I saw this, I allowed my expectations to change. But I remained in my seat with the thought that I would enjoy the peacefulness of my surroundings. Then, I felt a cold steady wind. I looked up and saw that the clouds were, in fact, now heading my way. Within moments the bright shine from the sun had disappeared and the darkness had overtaken area surrounding me. Before I knew it, the heavens had opened up and a heavy rain began to pour from above. Lightning flashed seemingly only a short distance away before a crack of thunder sent rattling chills up my spine. I began to stand to my feet to re-enter the safety of the home, but before I could muster the strength to lift myself, I felt myself easing up and relaxing back into my chair as if I knew I had nothing to worry about after all. It wasn’t but a matter of minutes before the storm had rolled on and left the area allowing the sun to once again peak through the clouds and remind me that all is well on the other side of the storm. I must say: It felt good to ride out the storm. It truly was a beautiful process to be a part of.
I’m not sure exactly what has sparked my fascination with storms. Some people fear them, some chase them and some just sit and ride them out. The truth remains: Storms are scary. They carry a power with them that cannot be thwarted by man. Whether we fear them or not, they have the power to take us. This is quiet the humbling thought as I realize there is more to this world than me. I am only a small part of a much larger existence. Even though the storm left me a little unnerved, I couldn’t leave. I could only stay and watch as it revealed its power to me.
In life, storms come and storms go. There isn’t much more we can do than simply watch and hope for the best. It’s amazing how one moment in life we feel safe and it may look as if our location exceeds the reach of the storm, but then it turns, and in the next moment we are watching as it wreaks havoc on our very existence. This begs us to run and take cover. We want to hide and pray it away, but storms are a necessary reminder that we are small. We are powerless. Life is bigger than we are. It didn’t start with us and it will not end with us. It’s a beautiful process and all we can do is watch and wait while we ride out the storm.
The sky may be grumbling and growling in our lives. Flashes of light may be setting us on edge. A cool breeze may be blowing in while tree limbs begin to dance in the distance. Concerns may pop up in our minds: “Are our garden crops okay?” or “Will a tree fall on our house?”. Maybe we will want to run and hide from it all. I know I wanted to yesterday, but only for a moment. Then the storm passed and it was almost as quickly as it came. Suddenly, it was gone. I survived. I couldn’t control the storm. We can’t control the storm. It’s bigger than we are. But when it rolls in … Maybe we should just relax and ride it out. That way we don’t make any storms in our lives bigger than they already are.
Whispers of Life 