Stormy Weather

Tonight, as I sit looking out at the stormy skies, I am reminded of something my dad used to say about certain people in our small southern town.  "I sure hope a big rain doesn't come 'cause that woman would drown with her nose stuck so far up in the air!" That always made me laugh... I have so many words of wisdom from my daddy. That man is a riot. What makes him even funnier to me is that he doesn't even TRY to be funny.  He just IS. I inherited my love of issuing nicknames for everyone from him.  I will refrain from being specific, but we had an acquaintance that Daddy liked to call "Booksatchel Booty." Ok, now THAT is funny. I still giggle when I think about him saying that. My brother's name is Justin. Daddy called him Timey Joe. Why? "Just in time." Timey. I still don't know where he came up with Joe. Daddy is just one of those people who can come off with a witty remark without even blinking.  I digress.....

I started this post because of the storm in our area tonight. I was standing outside chatting with my neighbors this afternoon when we saw and felt the front come in. The gust of cold wind came out of nowhere with the dark, dreary skies.  I am reminded that this is the same way storms roll into our daily lives.  Everything seems to be going smoothly when BOOM! We are hit by a cold gust of wind followed by a bolt of lightening and a downpour of rain.  It feels like we may never see sunshine again, but the sun always comes. Of course, there will also be more storms. Storms aren't all bad.  They cause us to seek shelter, to take stock of emergency items, to ensure that our children are safe. I've learned that even in the sunshine, we should be prepared for the storm.  We can't pretend that it will never storm.  We must be prepared for sudden storms. If nothing else, I have been taught that in the past couple months.

preparing for the storm

I have learned that when a storm is coming, we are responsible for taking care of our own belongings.  Nobody else is going to secure our patio furniture, put the dogs inside or make sure the cars are in the garage.  We've gotta have sense to get ourselves in out of the rain.  Lord, thank you for that sense. Thank you for showing me that storms aren't all bad.  Once this storm passes through, our grass will be green and our flowers will be nourished. Storm on, storm on.  Sunshine's a comin!