This morning as the dawn seems slow in coming, my thoughts flutter here and there like the butterflies my grandson’s kindergarten class released last week. Prayers go to those in the Oklahoma City area; Shawnee and surrounding towns. I’m thankful for the safety of family and friends and saddened by knowing that not everyone escaped the tornado’s fury. I wonder if more storms are on the way today. Springtime is a wonderful season, beautiful with the blossoming of new life but then there is the dark, sinister side…danger that drops down out of the sky.
Life is a precious thing; our allotted time on earth and how we use that time. Each person is unique and valuable. When that person is gone, there is no one to take his place. Yesterday I learned that a cousin who is almost always at the Caney Cemetery Decoration will never be there again. He died last month. Each of us is like a candle, bright and beautiful but fragile. Sometimes I want to gather all my loved ones close so I can see for myself that they are safe and well. I can’t do that but God can. So instead of surrounding them with my arms, I surround them with prayer.
Storms, whether they come from the heavens or from events on earth, are a fact of life. The outcome of the storms is ultimately in the hands of God. But as a writer, I can make sure that my protagonists come through safely. Weather is fascinating to me and has a prominent place in the books I write. In the first Darcy/Flora book, The Cemetery Club, these brave ladies are caught in an ominous storm at Goshen Cemetery:
A strange silence descended on the graveyard. I raised my head to see what was happening. The dark clouds were now moving and churning above us and a small eddy of whirling air pointed downward like an accusing finger. My heart stopped and then thudded against my ribs. “That’s a tornado! If it drops, we are in trouble!”
A low roar began over our heads then the wind and rain came again with renewed force. The storm tore at us, battling to whirl us into the seething heavens.” (pp. 6-7)
Darcy and Flora, like those of us in the real world, face danger from nature and evil people. They always come through but are not always unscathed. These intrepid heroes battle the storms, armed by their faith in God.
Now the early dawn grows lighter. A mourning dove calls to his mate. Is he reassuring her that the day will be a good one? A breeze lifts the leaves on the maple. The two neighborhood cats who were on my driveway earlier have gone home to their cushions and breakfast. I pour a second cup of coffee and thank the Lord for the priceless gift of another new day.
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