Day Five: Storms
Some storms come up fast like the time we were roofing our house. We had torn off all of the shingles and several rotten sheets of plywood. Then we saw the clouds in the distance. My husband jumped in his truck and headed out to buy more tarps, but the clouds were moving faster than we realized.
Suddenly, the rain was upon us. It poured down into the gapping holes in the roof. It filled all the light fixtures with water and rain flowed down our walls. On the inside. I sat on the couch with my hands in my lap and my shoulders slumped. I sat and waited for it to pass so I could clean up the mess.
Some storms come up seemingly out of nowhere. But others give you fair warning. It was an unusually warm March day. The sky was clear, but the wind was blowing. The wind grew stronger little by little until the high winds caused the trees to sway. The trees rocked back and forth almost touching the ground.
As we stood on the porch, we could see that one of our pines was under great stress. It was only a matter of time and it was coming down. My husband grabbed his keys and moved the car to the street. Then, almost in slow motion, that pine tree fell longways onto the driveway missing our car by inches.
Some storms come quickly with no time to prepare. Others give us fair warning if we are able to discern the signs around us. The same is true of the storms of life. The most difficult thing is knowing which signs are warnings and which ones are not.
The past year I have felt like I’m sitting on the couch with my hands in my lap and waiting until I can clean up the mess. I’m not really a Type A personality, so I’m sure some of you are almost losing your minds.
In what way can I begin moving towards healing and restoration? How can I make preparations to limit future damage and despair? Is there a way to shelter from the storm that is healthy? Are there boundaries or things that I can simplify?
These are some questions we can begin asking ourselves and our community. They are questions that might lead to more questions before any real answers arise. But I think that is okay.
It’s okay to ask questions even if you don’t find answers right away. Sometimes the healing begins by acknowledging that we have more questions than answers. Sometimes restoration happens when we realize the solutions are complex. Complexity is not a reason to stop asking questions. Rather it is a sign that we are not God and we need one another to clean up the mess.
