I intended to write this post telling you how my area of the country, Roanoke, Virginia, has been dry until the last few days. I hadn't paid attention until my flowers and tomato plants began to wilt in the heat.
That was me being busy with life and not being aware of my environment.
While the local authorities cried water shortage and rationing, I realized that life around me was changing. They issued an elevated risk warning of forest fire, which seemed odd.
Like life, you and I experience and actually need dry periods and the rain that follows.
But this last week as the rains came courtesy of hurricane and tropical storm Fay, I thought more existentially and realized my local environment is similar to my internal environment.
Sometimes we humans go through long periods of relative health and pay little attention to the world around us. We're simply not very aware.
Other times the rains come and we marvel at the arrival of (in this analogy) a period of bad health. (i.e., a sudden or chronic illness.)
And wonder upon wonder, we're always surprised when the tough times come! It's like life's reality never sinks in from our past lessons, even though:
- life has its own rhythm,
- we've lived through its cycles before,
- that suffering and ill health are a part of life,
- and, actually, a healthy part of life (to be sick sometimes, as is our case.)
Human beings don't learn life's lessons during the good times. Only bad times make us sit up, pay attention and become aware of the full reality of a personal truth. With this awareness, if we're lucky and don't run out of time, we discover specific and incredible revelations.
Fallible. Capable of disintegration. That we live for a time and then it's over. There may be more times, more lives and experiences to come after this one. That is not the point. What we must remember is that this earthly existence will come to an end and, if we're not careful, our chance to have lived and learned our lessons will be over.That we're human.
That while we live in these human bodies, we can be much more than we think we can be. We must realize the significance of our God who is willing to give us gifts beyond our wildest dreams! If we still ourselves in His presence, humble ourselves and thank Him for our gifts, the impossible becomes possible.That there are very good things to gain from living our lives with awareness and gratitude.
That we become aware of the small sparks of greatness within us and value each one as a true gift from God. Not because we earned even one, but because God hands out those gifts and expects us to use them wisely!
With great gifts comes great expectations and much responsibility. Live your life well, my friends. And, as you're waiting for your time of personal healing, realize that it may have already begun.
Note: Folks, I can't end this post talking about rain, hard times and blessings without wishing the best to my southern neighbors in the path of Hurricane Gustav tonight. God bless each of you. Get out of this monstrous storm's path if you can. Be smart. I am praying for you and I know the rest of the country will, too. Please spend your precious time moving to safety.
Many blessings, Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show
