Storms

Storms

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement

Storms

 

The pictures were devastating. We saw whole vistas of trees toppled, uprooted or broken in half, roofs ripped off, or homes reduced to splintered wood lying on a foundation. Hurricane Michael left loss and devastation behind as it barreled through Mexico Beach and Panama City, Florida. Amazingly, the vicious storm maintained its destructive power even when it was downgraded to a tropical storm for its sweep to the ocean through Georgia and Virginia. The reports stated that extremely high winds combined with low barometric pressure caused the dreadful results.

 

People can rage like a storm. Have you met people whose anger leaves a path of destruction behind them that destroys as severely as a named storm? Unleased anger makes children wilt under scathing barrages of critical words, causes women to topple under the blast of abuse, or leaves co-workers cringing. Explosions of anger destroy like the high winds of a storm which when combined with the barometric pressure of un-forgiveness causes unintended consequences. Individuals have little control over the warm oceans which contribute to the creation of hurricanes, nor do we always understand the causes of emotional storms; however, we have the privilege of choice for how we respond to the people and situations in our world which create barometric pressure that challenges our equilibrium. The strong wind of emotions can blow severe damage. We have the choice of forgiving those who batter us like the high winds of a storm. Our souls will not topple, break or create havoc around us when we choose to turn to God for help to control our anger and to forgive others.