Stormy Weather

Stormy weather ... the worst has passed, though still the winds blow. The sun is out, yet still the winds blow. The sky is blue, yes, but still the winds blow.

Life is like that. Someone close to me has had an operation, desperate for it to be the answer to the pain. The operation has passed, the worst is over, but still the pain persists. 

Life is like that. A loved one dies, the agony of watching them fade away and take their final breaths is over, but the grief ensues. 

Life is like that. A relationship hits crisis point, it breaks and paths diverge, but the loneliness hits like a wall of water.

Life is like that.

Through it all, Jesus never leaves us. He is not a fair-weather friend but a steadfast lover. When there is nothing else to be said, he stands with us and weeps, sharing our grief, bearing our pain if we will let him.

It is January, the month of stormy weather. Spring is coming. It is just around the corner. Even now, the bulbs are breaking through the frozen earth. How do they do that? How do they have the strength in their flimsy stalks to penetrate rock-solid dirt? 

That, perhaps, is the subject of another day’s blog.