Storms.

So today, as I was heading over to beachside to babysit my nephew, a storm was rolling in. I ended up snapping a few photos because the clouds were just amazing looking. As I was looking at the pictures, I was reminded of a lesson that I learned as a child.


Every single one of us, at one point or another, will face a storm in our lives. When we are first faced with them, it seems ominous, dangerous almost, and automatically, the "fight or flight" instinct kicks in. But for the most part, we have to continue on the path knowing that there is going to be rough weather ahead. Even the ones that turn around and go another path, will eventually run into the storm. It's inevitable, like death and taxes, we are going to run head first into a storm. So we put on the wipers, turn on the lights and brace for whatever God decides to throw at us. At the beginning, you aren't sure what is going to happen. Will there be hail? lightning? rough winds? Sometimes in our minds, we make the storm out to be bigger than it really is. Sometimes, the storm blows right over us and we let out a sigh of relief and continue on our way.


But sometimes, the storm is much worse than you anticipated. It's alot darker than you thought it would be, and the rain is coming down in buckets. You have your wipers up as high as they can get, but it's still not fast enough to clear the windshield for you. You put on your brights, turn on the hazards and inch down the road, hoping the the rain will let up just enough so you can see where you are going. Then the lightning starts popping around you and the wind is making it hard to stay in your lane. You're white knuckles on your steering wheel and going 20 down a 45 but nothing seems to help. The storm is getting so bad that you have to pull over, you have to take a break and stop. So you pull over, peel your hands from your steering wheel, and pray that the storm moves by fast so you can get back on the road.

Finally, you see a break in the rain and you are starting to see a bit of blue sky patches here and there. You make the decision that the rain has let up enough that you can continue on your way. You put on your turn signal and get back on the road. Then you look up in the sky and see the most beautiful sight: the sun. Then you realize the storm is finally over.

This is life. And every single one of us will face a storm. And when you are in the middle of the storm, you think that it will never get better. You white-knuckle through it with your wipers on at full speed but the problems just keep coming down. You feel hopeless, scared, panicked, and you just need to "pull over" and take a breather before you attempt to get any further. But eventually, we need to get back on the road because we can't stay on the side of the road forever. We have to keep going, we have to move on.

If you are facing a storm in your life, whether it be health concerns, death, failing relationships or family issues, just remember this. No matter how bad it gets or how hard it rains or how never-ending it may seem: The sun always comes back out. Always.