Weathering the Storm ~ Tuesday 4

It's time for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  After Toni passed into Paradise, Annie of Cottage by the Sea wanted to keep her memory and her meme alive.  Now on to the questions.

When thunder and lightning happen, cats, dogs, squirrels like to be in a small, safe , enclosure. Inside animals will hide under beds, outside they are appreciative of a box or little house to hide in. People are no different it seems.  

1. Do storms frighten you or make you cautious?

Yes, storms make me a bit frightened due to how powerful they can be, especially when it's loud thunder accompanied huge flashes of lightning.

2. What is the worst weather you can remember?

Whenever I think of a bad storm, I think back to several decades ago when I lived in the City of Saskatoon for a summer. I was working a short term contract at the university. When it storms on the prairies it gets super loud with ear shattering thunder and huge flashes of lightning and the rain coming down in buckets. When you are indoors, the lightning will light up the entire house or apartment you happen to be in.

3. Are you in a personal storm right now and do you need our prayers to help you through it?  I think many bloggers are prayer warriors indeed.

I'm not in a storm as such but I am dealing with several large matters concerning my family and my own personal needs. If you can join me in prayers for God's answers and provision that would be appreciated.  The Lord has been super good to me and when I'm going through the hardships of life, He is always there to support me. I am ever so grateful that I can turn to him at any time.  Night or day, he is always there.

4.  What is the best advice you can give to others about weathering storms of any kind.  

I often deal with others who are going through storms.  I seem to have a manner about me that makes others feel safe and comfortable to confide. I always try to give them comfort and let them know I'm praying for them. If the situation requires or it is requested, I might also give advice or counsel. It's always warmly received even by people who aren't Christian. I find that when people are going through hardships they tend to be more open to hearing about the spiritual side of things. More than that, they take comfort in hearing about God and having someone pray for them.

Storms of Life

I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.

Louisa  May Alcott, author of Little Women

Northeast facing photo. The clouds today are heavy with the rain to come.

We've had yet another storm. The wind was rattling through my fireplace all evening and into the morning hours. I finally "conked out" at around 4 in the morning so I didn't hear any more after that.

The news said that the winds in Vancouver were 89 miles an hour while on Vancouver Island the winds were up to about 120 miles per hour. Lots of trees were uprooted, roofs of homes were destroyed or damaged as trees fell on them, parks were closed, ferry sailings were cancelled and power went out in many homes.  Many boats parked in marinas up and down the coast were destroyed and schools were damaged. Thankfully it is Spring break right now so schools are not in session.  There was lots of new snow on the mountain highways to the world famous Whistler Village, and going north on the Coquihalla Highway.  Truckers were once again required to put chains on their tires as they reached the highest point.

 I managed to keep my power.  I awoke this morning and was able to make coffee as usual and make breakfast. I was able to dry a load of laundry and access hot water to wash my floors.  Soon a chicken will go into the electric oven.  So you see, I wasn't affected by any of the bad effects of the storm, other than the wind rattling all night. I feel blessed.

North facing photo. The mountains are not visible today. You can see a raindrop hanging from one of the leaves in the foreground.

We've had a lot of storms this winter season. I see them as an analogy for life. We often go through storms in life. It is a natural thing.  Sometimes the storms blow through our lives leaving minimal after effect.  Sometimes they tear through our lives, leaving a lot of damage behind and a need to rebuild.  Some go through more storms than others, but in the end, we all need to learn to navigate them. I navigate them with the tremendous help of my faith in God and my heavenly Father. Even then, if the storm is particularly bad, I need to hang on for dear life. Storms are that way sometimes.

When we weather many storms and we come out unscathed enough times, or we come out the other side, bruised but not broken, we can learn that our trust in God is not in vain.

I hope you are passing safely through any storms coming your way. If you are not, don't forget, there is a Father in Heaven and he cares for you.

 …casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 1 Peter 5:7

Blessings.