4 WriteStuff

I was remembering this morning, another stormy season. As I sat in Bible study, the leader asked the question: “what does peace mean? What does it look like for you?”
Without hesitation, the words that popped out of my mouth were, “Right now? The eye of the hurricane…” Chaos all around: but we were momentarily in the middle of the eye, a temporary peace, but we knew the rest of the storm was about to hit. We took time to catch our breath, to fortify during the brief respite.
Potentially, the worst of this storm has passed. Potentially… regardless of whether this is the leading edge, the eye, or the trailing edge, it will too pass.
I remember a children’s church lesson I shared several times: it is the storms that make us stronger… a tree raised in a greenhouse has little strength in comparison to the tree which has weathered life’s storms.
Sometimes I would like to be in that shelter, that greenhouse flower… but we each have our own purpose in life. I cannot be more or less than what I am. I can’t say that I am a storm chaser, but I do not shy away from them either. How many times have I sat outside during a thunderstorm trying to capture the lightening. It is probably not coincidental that during this major emotional storm is when I also captured the physical storm on camera. Still… can I claim to be strong enough for now and take a break?
As we drove through a super cell thunderstorm tonight, I was reminded again of the challenge, the beauty, the strength, the awe, the power of the storm. If it can’t be avoided, might as well grow through the experience.