the rains have come...
So the rains have come to Oregon...they tell me that the Farmers Almanac says it will start raining on November 8th with apparently no commentary on when the 'end' is... When I relocated last January - one foot in New Mexico/one in Oregon - it was a little rainy, even some snow, sleet, hail and actually sunshine...I thought I knew what weird and fast changing weather looked like...but now I REALLY know!
Anyway... it has started to rain here and it is nice. A fall day with a little drizzle and fires in fireplaces bringing out all the smells that autumn brings...so far I like it. Stay tuned on that one :o)
Of course as the heavier storms pass through it makes me draw a metaphor in my mind (and in my journal). A storm...from mother nature is much like life. One minute you are moving freely through the days of our lives and the next you're in a storm.
Many times we try to "ride out" the storms in our lives—doing this the best we can, holding on to whatever we find that brings us comfort in the moment...whether its destructive to us personally, we justify it as something we 'need right now' not forever, its not a 'problem'. We think, If I can just hang on and be strong, I can get through this moment and then I will go back to the calm controlled person I am every other day. :o)
But down deep, where the feelings come from...we really know better. The destructive pattern will erupt inside our heart again and again. When I remember to look for another way...these days...I look to scripture to see what I can learn about MY life and how to live it. I read somewhere that Ruth Bell Graham, the amazing woman and wife of evangelist, Billy Graham...ran her household and her life with the Bible as her "instruction manual." The closer I draw to God and to understanding my daily walk with Him through this life on earth, the more I "get" what she meant.
For the storms of life...who better to look at than King David. David knew he couldn't make it on his own. In the past, he had found help in the Lord God. And in this prayer, David again sought the Lord's protection: "Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge" (Psalm 16: 1). He rejoiced in the guidance and assistance the Lord had given him in the past and knew He would come through again when in the storms. I believe that if David stood firm through the storms with God 'right beside' him, so can I...and that gives me a way to 'ride it out' - but not on my own.
So if it has started to rain where you are...remember David and - more importantly - that you don't have to 'ride it out' alone.
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