Storms in Paradise: A Lesson in Perspective
My husband and I just recently returned from a second honeymoon of sorts. We cruised to the Bahamas (just the two of us… no kids) and had an amazing time! We sailed away to a private island (owned by our cruise line) and were in awe of the beauty. The beaches were incredible, to say the least.
And then it happened… a storm cloud.
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I watched as some began to worry about the dark sky. I heard others discuss the idea of returning to the ship. For me and my husband, we decided to not let the sky ruin our fun. This vacation had been planned for months, and we were determined to make the most of our time on the island.
Even though some seemed worried about a possible storm, there were also those who seemed to be completely carefree. They didn’t even look at the sky. They chose to enjoy the time they had. If it rained, it rained. (A little rain never hurt anyone right?)
All said and done, it never ended up raining that day. In fact, the clouds gave way to the sunshine about an hour later. I can’t help but wonder about all those people who returned to the ship. They missed out because they were afraid of a possible storm.
Here’s the truth: Even if it had rained that day, there still would have been those who chose to stay on the island in spite of it. I can say with confidence that for them, the rain would not have ruined their vacation. How do I know? Because it rained just a few days later in Orlando. And when I say rain… I mean it poured.
That rainy day turned out to be one of my favorite days during my vacation with my husband. I even have fond memories of the rain – my husband and I running towards shelter laughing as we ran. Dare I say, it was fun!
I learned an important life lesson during this vacation. Storms only ruin your day when you let them. We could have focused on the storm clouds. We could have focused on the rain. But instead, we focused on the paradise all around us.
Our foundation as believers is Jesus Christ. The storms of life can’t hurt us because we stand on solid ground. So the real issue lies in our perspective.
How do we respond to storms? Do we run back to the ship at the sight of a storm cloud overhead? Or do we choose to enjoy God’s blessings that are all around us?
Jesus tells us to never fear the storm… because it isn’t the storm that destroys us, but rather the fear.
Some of my best (and most triumphant) memories have been made in the midst of storms. When a storm approaches, we have the choice to allow it to be a blessing in our lives or a curse. Storms can build character and deepen relationships. They can train us to look at the good things in life instead of focusing on the bad. They can allow us the opportunity to trust God and enjoy His goodness.
…or they can ruin your day. The choice is ours to make.
*Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
**Photo by Ana Gabriel on Unsplash
