Storm

And the winds blew, the trees fell, all who were present took cover except one man.  This man, he stood in the midst of the rain, swayed from the tenacious winds, and narrowly escaped the flashes of lightning troubling the water.  The man withstood the storm to the amazement of the others.  Once the storm subsided, those who had taken shelter emerged and approached the man, wondering why and how he had withstood the storm as he had.  The man sat quietly on the bend while the crowd gathered around him.  People were pushing on another just to get a chance to see the man and may be grab a quick selfie, for surely, he was going to make the 6 pm news.  “Why, sir, why did you stay out in the storm as you did; why did you not seek shelter as we did?”

The man smiled, water dripping from his brown locks, “Where was I to go?  I know no one here, I am a traveler and this, my first time to this area.  I knew of no shelter, no home do I have here.”

“But you saw people running, why did you not follow?”

“I saw people running, yes, running to save their own person.  I saw a couple who, moments before the storm began, were holding hands and laughing, when the storm hit, they both ran in different directions.  Then there were whaT appeared to be as siblings, the brother ran to that door over there and when the sister finally reached the steps, no one opened the door for her, she ran off in a different direction.  If people knew each other and reacted with such neglect and selfishness, then how were they to react to me, a complete stranger?”

The murmuring stopped, some people were offered for they felt the stranger’s comments judgmental, others thought him pretentious, and still some intrigued by his candor.  “Well, sir, what was it like being in the middle of a storm of such magnitude?  Where you frightened, what where you thinking?”

His reply was profound, “The storm was beautiful.  I was able to witness the power, beauty and grandeur of Mother Nature all wrapped in one single experience.  The rains, they were cold but with each drop I felt the power of the rain and the winds, they actually took my breath away.  There were moments I felt as though u was going to be swept away but my boots, here, my boots are stuck in the mud, I never thought I would be thankful for mud as I am today.  The lightening, that was something else.  Each time it struck the water, I was a bit fearful but yet in awe of this experience.  It tickled the water at times while other times it rocked the water to the point of explosion.  I stood here, at first pitting my lack of area knowledge, my choice to travel alone for I believed this storm would my demise.  And so I stood here, in awe of the storm yet in awe of the Father for He created this world and let it go, each its own free will.  Humanity and nature, alike, acting on its own accord, acting as it wishes accepting or deflecting consequences as the occasions arise.  This storm, this storm was beauty for this storm captivated my soul, offering me a connection with my God, offering me a chance to truly listen for now words could I muster.  There I was, standing in the middle of a vicious storm and no shelter had I to take, yet shelter I had for I slipped into the Father’s arms as with each drop of rain I felt love, with each rip of the wind I felt peace and with each strike of lightening upon the water, I felt apart of something more than myself.  I was made whole by this experience, my faith came alive in the first slam of the door, in the eyes peering out at me, at the silence of a none welcome to shelter from the storm.  Though I was left alone to weather the storm, I was not alone, the Father was with me; I experienced His majesty, His omnipresence, His omnipotence for though we in this world, and the world itself, has free will, we possess, in tiny increments, the powers of the Father.  Standing there, in the middle of the storm, the storm that brewed within me settled that I may experience God’s love.  Yes, it was love, overwhelming love, which I experienced today, for I had nothing, no shelter from the storm, no friends to ease my fear, I was alone but yet I discovered I had everything for I had the Father.  I leaned on my faith and it pushed back with love.  So I thank you for closing the door on me today, thank you for not welcoming the stranger for this stranger is no longer a stranger to love, no longer am I a stranger to the Father for I have been blessed to experience Him like never before and this experience will carry me through the rest of my days.”

With that the man walked away, he headed toward town and was never seen again.  There was much rumbling from the crowd, but most were shameful of their actions for when there was one in need they comforted not the stranger they provided not a shelter, they showed them no hospitality, no love.  The storm split the might oak tree in the center of town into two that day.  There the tree stands, two piece, to this day, as a reminder of that great storm and the lesson from the stranger.  Many visitors frequent the town, many look at the mammoth tree and wonder of the power it took to split the trunk into two.  Stories circulate about that great storm but the most remembered is the lesson from the stranger.  Faith carried him when no one else would; God was present when everyone else abandon him; love was his, peace was his while everyone else wrapped in fear.  The people turned their town into a safe haven, a place where no one, not even visitors, was a stranger.  Welcoming the stranger, even the stranger within, the stranger staring back in the mirror; welcoming the stranger into a home built on love and faith needs only the protection of the Father.  We need only the Father yet the Father dwells within each one of us...will we welcome Him with open arms or slam the door shut?