I look out my front room window at a world blurred by rain. In fact, the rain is coming down so hard that it’s rather like a filmy gray curtain drawn across the green of springtime. A small bird dodged under the overhanging eave of the house and now clings to the bricks, sheltering from the onslaught.
A phone call jarred me awake just before 3 this morning. It was the automated service of the weather bureau telling me that a tornado warning had been issued for this area and I was to get to safety immediately. Thankfully, we were spared but it is a frightening and yet a reassuring thing to be awakened by a voice telling me I’m in danger. It definitely woke me up!
Sometimes we are warned of impending disaster; sometimes, we are not. I thought of the people in Boston who had no idea they were in harm’s way. And then this morning, I learned of another town in Texas where destruction came suddenly and people’s lives ended or were changed forever. They too had no inkling of what was to happen.
I take too much for granted. My health, family, freedom. I think we all live each day as we have in the past and then suddenly everything changes. Let’s be thankful for our loved ones. Let’s cherish them while we can. Let’s be grateful for our lives and the many blessings that God gives us. And when others suffer, may I be mindful that I could be the one suffering and offer prayers, encouragement and care. Life and the people and things we hold dear are as fragile as the spring flowers. Just as the small bird clung for shelter to the bricks, let us cling to our faith in God and our compassion for others. May we be aware of all God’s blessings and be willing to, at least figuratively, put arms around those who are hurting and let them know we care.
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