Storms, Trials, and Blessings

    We all know of terribles storms and catastrophes that wreak havoc on humans, animals, infrastructure, and nature. These storms of wind, rain, sometimes fire, are generally large and intense. Tghe local and national and even international news agencies usually do a good job in covering the scope and the damages of these storms. In the last week heavy rains lead to floods surging in American places near San Antonio and in western West Virginia that caused the deaths of dozens of citizens. Some storms and floods can be bigger, even more severe.

    A storm that causes heavy damage, both on the human and natural scale, and if taking even one life, is a hard and difficult thing. Some places and people never quite recover from the worst of the awful storms that ravage them. Hurricanes, tornados, heavy rains and floods, sea and snow emergencies, and as mentioned forest fires and other fire emergencies do their devastations.

    These storms are real and typically mean and awful. Some storms provide some blessing or benefit. I just read from my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history that Joseph Smith and a couple hundred other saints were hidden and protected by a large storm in western Missouri, from an alleged mob of three hundred pursuers who wished to likely harm them and thwart their mission, even trying to kill them.

    Storms can often be about life and death. 

    We have internal emotional, psychological, mental, health and physical, social and financial storms in our individual and family lives.

    I have had a few. This year alone. How do we withstand and weather them? Who helps us? Who can save us when we are not enough to deal with the personal storms that we face? God and faith are keys to many of us. But, we count on our close friends to give us more real-world feedback, follow up, love and care.

    Husbands, wives, siblings, parents, close colleagues, other intimate partners and confidants. 

    Storms go on when we keep secrets and when we break confidences with the combinations of our closest friends. Including with God and ourselves. We break trust with another, and we have hard times.

But the good after the storms makes it all okay, right?

Yes!

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