Embrace your Storm

Do you see the clouds gathering? Can you smell the rain in the air?

I've been thinking about the "storms of life" recently. It seems that wherever I turn, someone is going through a personal battle, a struggle, a difficult situation. Not only is it happening to a great number of people, but the struggles seem more intensive than the usual "My life is a bit yucky, and I have to face my day" stuff. These struggles involve loss, grief, real personal pain and they require internal growth to be able to pass through. 

That's hard. 

And when you're in the midst of it, it  can seem unending, relentless. You may also feel alone, unsupported and as if no one understands. These factors make it worse to bear.

It made me think of something that happened to me earlier this year. My health has been a series of thunderstorms for over a year now. During one part of the battle, I was valiantly building my immune system, eating, exercising, taking and doing everything I could to help my body fight what I thought was an infection. Until an expert told me my immune system was working just fine. I know that seems like a good thing, but at that time it was so hard to hear. Everything that was in me resisted hearing what I knew to be the truth. But because it was the truth, it didn't go away, and I learned to embrace it, and change direction. 

What on earth does that have to do with storms? And real big problems? Well there is a tenuous connection. In my mind, that is.

Sometimes we need to embrace what the storm is doing in our lives, in order for it to pass. Which, as this clip from Forest Gump shows, we can do with fear, or with a bit of Dan's "bring it on" attitude.

Surrender to the storm. Let it come.

The lightning strikes like a sword, cutting through the lies spoken. The thunder rumbles, asking where our anchor is, and what we are clinging to. The rain washes away stuff we don't need anymore, but were too scared to let go. 

 

And then hear the words - "Peace be still." 

Look up, and see the rainbow. The light and the life shining and shimmering through the last dots of droplets dangling from the trees. Waving at you, beckoning you to new life.

Here's the song for today. It's old. Bring it on, by Steven Curtis Chapman. Someone clever put images to it, because not every song had a clip in "the olden days" and it works for me.

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It is well with my soul

Safe in the arms of Jesus