Day 9: Withstanding The Storm

Life is full of storms. Sometimes it feels as if that is all we go through. Day after day life pummels us with unexplainable trials that wear us down until it seems as if there's nothing left.

If I were to ask for a show of hands of how many people have been through one of these storms I am positive we would all raise our hand. No matter how old we are, at some point in our life we would say there was a trial of some sort. Some are ginormous, the size of hurricanes that rage with terrible winds. Others are smaller, days of endless drizzle that never seems to let up.

No matter the size or magnitude of the storm we face, it is still a trial that we must face. And face it we must for what other choice do we have? We are alive, we have people counting on us, we must push through.

With the winds raging and wearing away at our heart it can be a struggle to see anything in front of us let alone look for the end of the storm. It is there, we may be seeing the inside of a tornado at the moment but even the worst ones do not last forever. They pass, the winds subside, and the rains slowly calm their tempest.

We may feel as if all we know are days filled with trials and tears. The longest recorded storm in history lasted for 31 days until it finally faded away and stopped on its destructive path. No storm has ever lasted forever, they slow down until they are no more. They seem like the end of the world while we experience them, believe me I know, but there will always be hope.

This is not the end.

There is far more waiting for us after the clouds have cleared. The storm will end, find hope in those four words as you face the lashing winds. We may spend a while cleaning up the rubble left in the destruction path, but the winds have cleared away and we can see blue sky again.

Every storm leaves its mark, but that it a sign of survival. We may face challenges and trials, but never forget that we made it through. We are stronger than the storms we face and we are all survivors. We may have our bumps and bruises, but it is not the end for us. Take all the time needed to get through your storm knowing that it will last for its entire duration. Feel each moment of it but always, always cling to the hope that one day this hardship and this pain will fade away.

The storm will not last forever, the clouds will pull back and the sun will shine again. Often times the sunsets are the most beautiful just after a storm. They show that even in a struggle there is beauty and we will continue to live. Each breath we take and each step we walk is a reminder that we have survived even the hardest of trials.

Remember, blessed are those who persevere under trial.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt