Last summer a massive storm swept through our neighborhood. It was not officially classified as a tornado, but with heavy rain, lightening and straight line winds of 70-90 mph, it did significant damage. Our neighbor lost 6 huge fir trees, 3 on each side of his property. They came crashing down in seconds, as if they were matchsticks blown over in a breeze. Other neighbors lost garages and roofs; electrical transformers went up in smoke and power lines fell on cars, houses, trees and streets. As I walk the trail down by the river, there are constant reminders of the storm. There is a sand bar in the river where there once was none, and piles of sand line the side of the trail where the river flooded. Some trees were knocked down completely and they lie where they fell; other trees stayed upright, but just barely, and they lean in the direction of the wind; still others lost the top half or third of their trunks, and deformity is still obvious . All along the trail are tangled piles of leaves, twigs, branches and logs, remnants of the dozens of trees that were destroyed in the storm.
As a result of the storm, the landscape in my neighborhood has changed. Some of these changes were not good: there is a part of the trail that floods with every heavy rain now, because the storms changed the contour of the riverbank. As I look out my kitchen window, where I once only saw stately fir trees, I see a yard scattered stumps in my neighbor’s yard; I also have a clear view our neighbor’s house and the street at the end of our block that was once blocked from view is now clearly visible. Other changes were more positive: the loss of old, dead trees allowed the younger trees to flourish and provided more areas of sunshine where wild flowers grow tall. Good or bad, the landscape has changed and it has changed forever. It will never again look the way it did before the storms.
Our family has endured a number of storms over the last few years, and not just the weather kind. We have gone through health “storms’ – we almost lost Steve’s brother Mark to liver failure and my mom has fought a losing battle with Alzheimer’s. We, like most others in our area, have struggled through financial storms. The price of everything, from gas to college, is rising, and we have also had to deal with wage and benefit cuts, and a lack of job security. The relational storms have been overwhelming. Some relationships that we thought were as strong and sturdy as large fir trees came crashing down. Others just dissipated. As a result of all of these storms, we have gone through great emotional turbulence. Anger, grief, anxiety, and depression have swept through our lives. As a result of these storms, the landscape of our lives has been changed forever.
Some of these changes seem to be anything but good. Mark is on the liver transplant list; and my mom has just been moved to a long-term care facility. The economy continues to struggle to recover, as do our finances. And while some relationships have been replanted as seedlings, it is hard to see how others can ever be regrown.
But…..some of the changes, while painful, have been good. We have a new appreciation for our health, and have made changes to our lifestyle to help our bodies be in better condition (think diet and exercise!). We have learned how to make do with less, to think before we buy and to differentiate between wants and needs. We are more thankful for the blessings of strong relationships – ones that stand in the face of the storms of life – and we work to strengthen them even further.
Most of all, we have come to a deeper and more intimate understanding of what it means to have a relationship with God our Father. He is the One who is our Rock in the storms of life, the One that we cling to when the wind is howling around us (Ps. 62:2). He is the One is in control of the storms and who can either cause the storm to cease, or see us safely through the storm (Matt. 8:24). He is the One who never changes, the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). And He is the One who promises that He will take the bad and turn it into our good. So, no matter what storms are going on in our lives, or what storms are still to come, we can confidently say with the Apostle Paul (who knew more than a little about all kinds of storms!): “And we KNOW that in ALL things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
No comments:
Post a Comment