Do you find yourself waiting?

Waiting on the storm to come.

Waiting on the storm to pass.

We all find ourselves waiting on a storm at some point in our lives.

Literally and metaphorically.

Far too often, we spend our time worrying about or anticipating whatever storm is heading our way. We miss the power of living in the present.

Preparing for storms is logical. Even prudent. But worrying about them is not.

All storms will ultimately come and go. Regardless of how big a storm like a hurricane is, there is a beginning, a middle (the eye – where there is the most eerie yet serene sense of calm), and the tail end.

I had not yet “skipped” a college class. Granted I was only one week into my freshman year, but so far I had “perfect attendance” at all classes. I woke up at 6 am to get ready for my 8 am class on the other side of Appalachian’s campus. The rain was pelting the windows of my 6^th floor dorm room, so loud that at some points I thought the windows may burst.

Sheets of rain. So bad you couldn’t see anything outside other than the rain.

Turning on the tv I noticed multiple closings in the area. Finding that odd because Boone closes things so rarely, much less for rain, I made the decision that if they were closing local businesses I did not need to trek across campus for class. I’d make it up later. So, I went back to bed.

A bit later I woke up to the windows shaking. Then a knock at my door.

“There is a hurricane, and it is hitting Boone. They’ve asked us to all move to the bottom floor until the storm passes.”

Even though we didn’t know each other, in those minutes we provided a sense of security and comfort for one another waiting on Hurricane Hugo to pass.

This was long before cell phones, etc so none of us knew to be checking the news for a hurricane. Before we knew it the storm was there, and we were in the middle of it.

There had been no waiting in anticipation for it to come. But there was waiting for it to pass.

There is waiting to see what death comes from storms.

Waiting to see what can be resuscitated.

And waiting to see what can and will be resurrected.

“Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil for God is with you. God will lead, guide, and comfort you. God will restore your soul.”

Sometimes we are tempted to make it all about the waiting.

We are challenged, however, to make it all about the living.

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the presence of God (the most divine love) forever.

Are you waiting? Or are you living?

We hold all impacted by this storm in our energy and prayers.