There is an impending storm that is going to strike at any moment. I can feel an electrical charge in the air. You can smell the rain as well as the dust that it just consumed. The air is increasingly violent, confirming the storm with an intensity that has gone from a whisper to a scream. The storm increasing dominates one’s senses. It feels like the only thing one can consider is the moment that will certainly come.
As the storm slams the Redhill area of Singapore, I can sense overwhelming emotions that have come with the storm and without my invitation. They reflection the battles our souls go through more often than we care to admit. Several writers describe them as dark nights of the soul. In different forms, they haunt us all. I have never met someone that is immune.
Fears, uncertainties, and doubts stalk our lives. We may try to drown them, but they live on. We may try to ignore them, but they only get louder. We can even think that we have overwhelmed them, only to see them rise up again, stronger, faster, ready to strike.
Life and wisdom writers remind me that there are three truths that I need to hold onto.
Acknowledging the storm and one’s fear opens up the possibility for help. One writer phrased his fear this way; “I’m thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, ‘Will I ever make it – arrive and drink in God’s presence?’” (Psalm 42.2) Whatever one’s form is, the first step is in knowing and acknowledging.
Hope is closer than one realizes. As darkness grows, it is increasingly hard to imagine or believe that light exists. In the worst moments, Hope is on holiday and Despair is king. I am often blind to the fact that Hope is always present.
Life is bigger than a storm. We are in a greater story. The question is not about the future, just one in the present. What action makes the world a better place? Find it. Embracing it is the best answer to a storm.
