Welcome back, Warriors!!! It has been quite a week here in the Den. We have had an unusual summer weatherwise, and have had somewhat lower than expected temperatures and higher humidity (in other words, we never quite made it to the “it’s a dry heat” stage! Currently, we are in the middle of our monsoon season, and the desert has unleashed all it’s mighty power and glory for some amazing displays this week!!! If you have never experienced a desert monsoon, there is nothing like it in the world, and I haven’t seen a good set of storms in years, and this year’s is non-stop!
I was sitting here today thinking about what I should write, but I was also thinking about the storms that we have been seeing recently. I suddenly realized that the monsoon storms that we have been seeing (that kind with 60+ mile per hour winds that knock down power poles, rip off awnings, flip over trampolines and cause flash floods) is the perfect analogy for life, and how to handle any issue that might occur, whether it be a reaction pattern to deep pain, or something outside your immediate control.
When these storms are expected, it is generally a good idea to remain where you are, or get to where you need to be well before the storm hits. The problem is that these storms can develop rapidly, seemingly out of nowhere. Yesterday afternoon, we weren’t expecting a storm, but one developed, and I had a had an errand to run. I got caught in the storm, and had to drive my way home. This was the most intense storm I’ve ever driven in, and it required every bit of focus that I had. In town, was a little easier, but I was still driving on flooded roads, with high winds and hammering rain. But we don’t live in town, we live a couple miles outside town in the middle of farm fields. And as soon as I made the turn onto the highway, driving became my ultimate focus. It took everything I had to keep the car at the right speed to progress, without slipping into oncoming traffic, with winds gusting from the side, and the rain was pelting so fast and so hard that I almost couldn’t see outside at all. Once I made the turn onto the rural road to get to the house and drove about 50 feet into a headwind, the rain nearly stopped and I had completely clear vision ahead.
In life, things are going to happen. Some days will be sunny, clear and gorgeous; some days are going to be full of monstrous storms that will seem as though they are going to blow you off your Path. That’s life. And whether we like it or not, we only have control over one thing: ourselves. We can only control what we do. Nothing else. I can only control me (though my head would like to think otherwise), and you can only control you. Anything else is fighting the storm. So when the storm hits, just stop. Breathe. Accept that life sucks for the moment, and focus. What is bothering you? Is it something you can control? If not, let it go. Breathe through it, and move on. Yes, I know how much this hurts, and how much it sucks. I’ve spent countless hours going through this, including many times in the last several months. But I got through it. And I’m back. I’m blessed and grateful to be back.
I’m also grateful that I know that the storm can’t control me. And more importantly, I am more grateful to know and recognize that I cannot control the storm.
Blessed Be.
The Warriors Den 