I sit in the prayer window and look out on a peaceful
morning. It seems no breeze blows at all. All is still after the storms of this
last week.
All is still, but all is not the same. Trees are down,
leaving areas of woodland more like WW1 battlefields than pleasant forests.
Even in our own garden, branches are broken, bushes are battered.
Today is Groundhog Day. Most of us know the legend of it
from the movie a few years ago. The main character continually relives the day
until he finally adjusts his pompous personality and transforms into a nice
guy. Until then, every morning heralds a repeat of the previous day, though he
is the only one aware of it.
The storms of life do not leave us unchanged. Sometimes, as
in Groundhog Day, the movie, we emerge as better people. We gain wisdom and
insight during storms. We come to know ourselves at a new level. Sometimes,
relationships are broken off as a result of a storm. That can be either heart-breaking
or healthy.
Jesus famously stood up in the pitching boat and ordered the
wild waves: ‘Peace, be still.’ How often in storms – both meteorological and lived
– we can beg him to do it again. Please, Jesus, please order the storm to
abate. Sometimes he does. More often than not, I suspect, he lets the storm
rage, but he walks with us, shielding us from falling trees and holding us
close.
I will never leave you nor forsake you, he said. Happy
Groundhog Day. Let’s hope Punxsutawnee Phil doesn’t see his shadow today, and
spring comes early. Otherwise, I guess we have another six weeks of storms and
possible power outages! Either way, Jesus’ promises hold true. So grateful.
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