Out of the Whirlwind by Barry Hughes

For the first time in these weeks upon weeks of walking, my route was canceled due to rain. And not just for one morning, but two in a row. Hard to imagine that this much time could pass before it happened. It was more than a little surprising how much this affected my day. These walks were started as a temporary routine designed to fill the loss of my 20+ year -long morning practice of going to the gym at 5.30 am each day. I discovered that I do, without a doubt, have a new routine.

I enjoy the rain. I even enjoy walking in the rain. A thunderstorm is a different issue all together. But the view from under the cover of my back deck was still spectacular. I did not get my steps in or burn many calories, but I did enjoy some memories long past.

When I was a boy, we lived atop a high hill in an area that was a “Tornado Alley”. Come Spring, such storms were a way of life. I can still remember how I loved the feel of the weather as it changed. The dark, billowing clouds blowing past, illuminated intermittently by flashes of lightning, made me feel small in the scheme of things. The power of the wind and the deep rumble of thunder made me feel reverent, almost as if I were sitting in church between my parents on a hard Sunday morning pew. And when the storm had passed, the world seemed ready for a “do-over”, a chance to give life another try. I have been fascinated by storms ever since.

The story of Job is one of the oldest of stories. I have always loved the part in the narrative where God speaks and answers the downtrodden Job “out of the whirlwind”. Maybe the childhood version of myself was not that far off; maybe God is present in the storms that come our way. Perhaps we might find an answer we seek when we least expect it. It just might be that we find a new beginning through the storm. I sure hope so.

Peace.