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ABOUT
two weeks ago, the news was filled with gloom-and-doom
scenarios of the drought that was inevitable in the
country as a result of scarce rainfall during the rainy
season. In reaction to the dire scenarios predicted, the
Catholic Church called on its faithful flock to pray for
rain. Churchgoers earnestly pleaded the heavens to
bring our land some relief from its dry spell. Sure
enough, the heavens answered—and how! The past week has
seen the entry of not just rains but full-blown typhoons
as well. The storms came without warning and wreaked
havoc as all storms do. Yet, it also relieved our
country from a potentially disastrous drought.
A little
closer to home, I find that there are many people in my
life who currently or recently have found themselves in
the eye of a storm. A friend of mine has left her
husband of 13 years; another has ended a three-year
friendship; and still another is facing a crisis in her
career that threatens everything that she has spent her
life’s work on.
You can
usually feel a storm coming. There is a darkening of the
horizon, a stirring of the wind, an eerie silence that
many call the “calm before the storm.” The warning signs
cannot be ignored. From the storms of my own life and
watching the storms in the lives of my friends, I have
learned a few lessons on how to face stormy weather:
1)
When a
storm comes into your life, you need to take shelter and
stay still until the storm passes. And no matter how
violent, all storms pass. The more violent a storm, the
more quickly it passes.
2)
If you
need to go out into a storm, be prepared for the
onslaught. Put on your raingear, bring an umbrella, and
brace yourself for danger.
3)
Always
be prepared for a storm. It’s not a question of “if”;
it’s a question of “when”. Fortify the areas in your
life (financial, emotional, spiritual) that you will
need to strengthen yourself in weathering a storm.
4)
Every
storm has its casualties. Fellowship is a necessity. You
may often be required to provide a safe house for
victims of a storm. In the same manner, you should know
which safe houses to go to when you become a victim of a
storm.
5)
A storm
brings scarcity. You will need storehouses of strength,
goodwill, faith and grace to overcome.
There
will be many storms in our lives. To quote from Paolo
Coelho, “A storm brings destruction, but it also waters
the fields; and with the rain, falls the wisdom of the
heavens.”
As I
write this column, the winds are howling outside and
there is a nonstop downpour of rain. I know, however,
that when this is all over the air will be cleansed;
people will once again leave their homes to resume their
normal activities; and the debris will be cleaned and
collected.
Most
importantly, the sun will shine brightly again. |
