Last Sunday in the early evening we were driving home from St. Louis.  As we got in the car to leave I noticed the bank of clouds to the West.  It wasn’t long before we drove into a terrific storm.  The rain was coming down so hard that the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up, even at high speed. At one point the wind was so strong that sheets of rain were blowing sideways across the road.  When these hit, I hung onto the steering wheel so that we were not blown off the road. Since I was the driver, I had to decide to keep on going or pull over. With hands glued to the steering wheel, leaning forward to see better, we drove at 15 miles an hour, and kept going.  Actually it would have been equally dangerous to pull off and stop.  We made it through the worst of the first storm, only to run into more storms that were just as strong.

In the middle of all this, I kept thinking that this storm was just like everyday living.  There are times when storms keep coming at us – one after another. Sometimes they are fierce and never seem to stop pounding us.  They attempt to blow us off the road and we have to hang on tight.  However, when we are in the middle of these situations, we most often decide to buck up and survive. Yes, I was scared, and this was not an experience of choice. I was told that my grip on the steering wheel didn’t relax until we were almost home.  In spite of all this, I knew we were safe in the car, all was well and we would arrive home safely.

In this, there are lessons for all of us about riding out the storms of life. The first is to keep going, even though you can’t clearly see the road ahead. As you travel along, the next stretch of road will become visible and allow you to keep moving. You may not be able to see the solution or end result, but you can see the next steps.  Second, it’s ok to pull over and stop, get quiet and let the storm pass for a while.  In that still time, the way to move forward will be obvious and you can start again.  Third, the winds of life often blow us sideways. When this happens hang on and be open to new ideas or choices that might have blown toward you.  Maybe a new path will open that is better than the current one. Fourth, we often anticipate a storm that never comes. The problem of driving safely in heavy rain and wind was right in front of us. Any other concern, like having an accident, was not a problem. How many times do we waste energy in preparation  for something that never happens?  We lose ourselves in worrying about storms that never occur.

Many times, it’s hard to relax in the midst of a life storm.  I was anxious even after we had driven out of worst of the rain and wind. I was still on alert even though the roads were dry and the sky had cleared. I was tense even though I knew we were safe. In the storms of life, we often carry the stress long after the event has passed. We can’t move on and let go!  The high alert we maintain saps our energy and distorts our view of options and choices.  So, the next time a storm comes your way relax and go with the flow.  Trust that all is well.