Storms reminds us that we are not in control of our situations or of the world at large.
Sometimes we get caught up in the feeling that we call the shots. It’s important for us to know that we are not in control of very much.
The Bible says “the rain falls on the just and unjust” implying that what happens to us is not brought about due to our own merit.
Whatever happens to another can happen to us. To think not is to be naive.
The only thing we are in control of, to any degree, is our attitude. We do have the power to choose our attitude, though it may take all of the raw courage, grit and tenacity to keep on keeping on and to maintain an optimistic spirit in the midst of an emotional storm.
Although tornadoes can strengthen us, I pray that I never have to go through that kind of devastation.
What happens to us — happens to all of us, at some point, to some degree.
It’s how we accept and assimilate these events that make the difference.
Whenever my surroundings become too quiet, too peaceful, whenever there are no bumps in the road to knock me off my feet and to upset my equilibrium, I hold my breath, as it’s always quietest before the storm.
Because my life has been orchestrated by need, by constant change, by having the rugs jerked out from under my feet continually from my early childhood, when I lost my father at the age of 10 and later ended up in an orphanage to the present time, I’ve never had the luxury of feeling I was in control of my life.
I feel that there may be some people who do occasionally feel that we are “masters of our own fate, captains of our own soul” to paraphrase a famous writer.
A few years ago I had a heated discussion with a man about being masters of our own fate. I held to the premise that we aren’t masters of our own fate to which he ascertained that we are masters of our own fate.
Less than a week later his mother dropped dead at a New Years Eve party, with no warning.
I believe that we all will have tragedies in our lives.
We are in control of little, only of our attitude.
Perhaps knowing this is why I’ve been spared the trauma of being in a fire or of seeing my possessions blown away.
Or perhaps my tornado may be just around the corner. I know I’m not in control of our circumstances.
This attitude may be why I obsessively make up my thank you list out each night before going to sleep. Perhaps this is my effort to hedge in my blessings as I know the trauma of losing the dearest to my heart, of leaving my own home, when I went in an orphanage as a young child.
Pain shapes our attitudes.
The only control we have is how we accept adversity.
For me, my strength has come from looking for the best in all situations, of allowing the pain to fuel my drive, to steer me to my present goals because I’ve learned the deeper one goes the higher one flies!
I have also learned not to accept no for an answer. I’m setting my own goals, not asking permission. I’ve been committed to an alchemy of doing whatever it takes to will my dreams into a reality.
Perhaps it took been pushed into a corner the jumping-off place, to the very edge of our existence to developed this attitude.
At this age I’m grateful, because I see each hard-knock as a stepping stone to my success, knowing I’m one step closer to my goal.
However I know where my breaking point is.
Had I not put God in my life I can only imagine where I would be today.
Without Him I can do nothing!
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