Stormy Weather

Years ago I remember hearing lyrics that went something like this:

Don't know why
There's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather . . .

Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather . . .

Can't go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather . . .

And so on. It is true that most people associate misery with storms. There are a lot of analogies that stem from this belief. "Storms are dark, scary, and evil." "Only sunlight brings peace and inner joy, etc."

Now as someone who dislikes storms as much as anyone, mostly because of the arthritis I've been blessed with, I've come to realize that we cannot attain the peaceful beauty we often seek without those storms, however they arrive in our lives. Think about it---without spring showers, there wouldn't be lovely May flowers. [Pun unintended, but since I am a descendant of a handful of Mayflower pilgrims, I can probably get away with it . . . at least on this side of the veil. =D ]

I have learned the most from the darkest times in my life. Yes, I'm one of those who has to continually learn things the hard way, but I suspect, most of us are like that. It seems that we require a certain amount of "difficult weather" to learn certain lessons, and to become stronger individuals. What we gain is totally up to us. Two people can withstand an identical storm, and come away with a very different experience. Our attitude determines what that will be.

The other day as my husband and I drove across the valley to Bear Lake, I saw a huge storm coming in. The sky was dark, but it looked beautiful, so I took its picture. =) In fact I snapped several pictures that afternoon and captured an interesting phenomenon: a typical Idaho weather pattern. A popular saying here is: "If you don't like the weather in Idaho, wait a minute!" ;) It's really true. So I will share what I saw move across the lake that day.

You can see the approaching storm and the darkening effect on the lake.

The storm moves closer and in my opinion, it was still a gorgeous view.

The clouds descended and it began to snow . . . a lot.

It snowed so hard, you couldn't even see the lake for a few minutes.

As quickly as it blew in, the storm moved on, leaving a breathtaking photo moment in its wake.

Interesting, eh? ;) That storm provided much-needed moisture, a little break in our routine, and beauty that is often rare. I hope I remember the lessons I learned that day, so when future storms descend, I can cling to the knowledge that these storms are temporary, and that they will eventually move on. I pray I will be wise enough to ponder what I can gain from that experience, using it to grow into a better person.

Today is a beautiful spring day, even though in our realm, we still have about 2 feet of snow on the ground. I'm choosing to focus on the sunlight and bask in the warmth, storing that memory for the storms I know lie ahead. When those storms descend, and I know they will, (it's part of the joy of living in a mountain valley), I can reflect on the sunny warmth, endure the current downpour, realizing there will be better days in store.

We can't control the type or frequency of storm that often appears on the horizon, but we can control how we will respond to it. So on days like today when the sun is shining and all seems right with the world, frolic and enjoy. And on days like I captured above, look for the good that can come from blustery squalls. You might just find that's part of why we're here.