Surviving Life's Storms.....

AFTER THE STORM
(photo source)

The edges of the hurricane have moved inland and we are getting a remnant of the wind and rain here today. The tops of the trees are swirling in wild circles as if doing some ancient forest dance. Raindrops patter and splatter on the roof, a drum beat that matches the rhythmic swaying of the trees. Loose leaves are raining down like confetti at a ticker tape parade. Rivulets of rain trace their way down my window panes. Puddles and runoffs form, the water is churning and mixing with the earth, flowing down the hillside looking much like the famed mighty Mississippi that Mark Twain wrote of. The sky seems to be weeping, lamenting.As I survey the scene, safely sheltered from the storm, a cozy tucked in feeling washes over me. Behind me is the soft buttery glow of lamp light filtering through a linen shade, beaconing me to sit in its warm glow. I sit curled in the corner of the sofa and survey my quite kingdom. There is something comforting about this dim day and drumming rain. It is a day that allows slowness to seep into my system. I bask in nothingness as my eyes roam the room, settling on the face of a hand carved angel. The lamplight brings forth her chiseled features. I retrieve my camera, sit, and look at her through its lens. From the flow of her gown I have always thought her to be kneeling. Her face is tilted heavenward, hands clasp in prayer like form over her trumpet, eyes gazing upward as if in deep communion with the Father. She exudes peace.
This inside scene is very different than the one outside. One is quiet and peaceful, the other is troubled and turbulent. I am brought to a keen awareness that this is a perfect example of the legacy of peace that is a gift from Christ. John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."The storm raging outside my window is a representation of life in this world. It can often be filled with what feels like a downpour of trials, trouble, and tribulation threatening to drown us. It can be dark and sometimes even depressing. Circumstances beyond our control often make us fearful. Life storms often hit us without warning and with such gale force that it threatens to topple us and we begin to feel a bit battered. My angel looks a bit battered, her wing is quite tattered. She has little stress cracks in her wood. Her edges are a weathered and a bit worn away. Life has not always treated her so kindly.The serene scene inside my home is a representation of the heart that has accepted the gift of peace and can rest in the assurance of a brighter day beyond the current storm. It is a heart that can see beyond the circumstances of the moment and can bask in the warm glow of the gift of peace. The storm is raging all around, yet inside it is calm and peace filled, safe, secure, and sheltered. It is a heart that has taken up the position of prayer, just like my angel, kneeling, gazing upward in faith, in deep communion with the Father. While her outward appearance may reflect some bits of stress, areas of brokenness, scars of age, and be a bit worn down by life's treatment of her, notice it is her position that is so peaceful.I encourage you today to choose your position well and do not lose heart no matter what life hands you. Outwardly we may feel as if we are being swept away on storms tide ~ discouraged, depressed, or challenged by the suffering of this world. Inwardly, trust in Christ renews peace and strength day by day in the heart in spite of and in some ways because of outward suffering.The storm outside has settled to a gentle mist but the sky still threatens of more to come and I am reminded that our life storms here are light and momentary and even though I cannot always see it, they do achieve a purpose. Like my angel, I must choose the position of prayer, fixing my eyes upward, focusing not on what is seen, but what is unseen. "For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18) Today, I encourage you to "turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."





May grace and peace be with you,
Miss Sandy