Just Another Storm

The middle-aged woman sat on the freshly-cut grass that covered the bank along the small meandering creek. Upstream she could hear the rushing of the water as it flowed over the manmade waterfall. Across the creek she saw three turtles sunning themselves on a log that had fallen into the water during the last storm.

She loved this spot. The small park was seldom busy, so she could sit and enjoy nature in peace. Many times she would bring a blanket and book and lie on the ground to read. Other times she would bring her kids and they would fish or catch crawfish. Today she was alone and although she had brought her camera to get some nature pictures, she had left it in the car.

Her thick brown hair had been pulled into a pony-tail on top of her head, but she'd let it down so the fresh breeze could blow through to her scalp. It felt so good to be out of the town, where breezes were seldom felt, much less fresh air. She loved the country and this park was one of her favorite places. She leaned back on her elbows, gazing up at the azure sky. This was as near to heaven as she could imagine.

A splash in the water brought her back to sitting position to survey the area. She noticed the turtles were gone from the log and figured the noise must have been them diving in after their evening meal. She slid her bare feet across the grass close to her. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulled them to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. She then began to cry.

After a few minutes she raised her head to wipe her tears, thinking to herself, "It's pretty bad when I can't even enjoy all of this beauty." What could she have done differently to have avoided the path of destruction her life had traveled, only to end up so totally alone? As they had a million times, these thoughts put her into fighting mode. In defense of herself she started to think of all the wrongs that had been done to her during her lifetime.

At the same time the wind picked up. The nearby trees swayed as their leaves fluttered. Off to the southwest she could see dark clouds moving in her direction. A storm was brewing but she didn't care. She had weathered many a storm. The wind downed more branches; the birds flew for cover; the man downstream who had been fishing started to pack up his gear and head for his vehicle.

She sat there, not moving from her spot on the creek bank. This unexpected storm was simply another distraction, a maneuver to keep her from spending time in thought, time to rest, time to build her strength to fight the problems of the world. She would sit there and face the storm until she could bear the cold rain and gusty winds no longer, but she would not be run off by the first hint of trouble.

She lasted all of 15 minutes! Soaked to the bone, she pulled her shoes on and headed towards her car. It wasn't easy, as she had to climb the hill to the parking lot heading straight into the wind. Once she reached the car she dried off as best she could with the jacket she had left there. Then she sat shaking her head.

As the wind and rain pelted her vehicle she started to laugh. Once again she had failed. She had been determined to face the storm, but gave in and took cover. At the same time she took pride in the fact that she had endured the battle against nature, however briefly. She was determined not to give up. The storm may have won this time, but some day before she died she hoped to come out the victor.

Note from the author: We all face challenges and 'storms', some more than others. When those storms of life face us it sometimes helps to know that you are not the only one going through these storms and an encouraging bible scripture Romans 8:37 "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (King James Version).