Life

Storms and Other Scary Things

August 5, 2010


This afternoon a big lightning storm moved over Nashville. There were over 14,000 lightning strikes in a thirty minute period. About mid-way through, Chris walked out of his office with a shaking Sydney in his arms. He sat on the couch with her for a few minutes to calm her down, and we wrapped her in blankets to help her feel secure. After a bit, I switched places with him and stayed with her until her breathing calmed, the tremors went a way, and she fell asleep.

A few minutes after I settled her on the couch pillow and moved to a different spot, Annie jumped up on the couch and squeezed in right next to her. My first instinct was to correct Annie and have her move, but Sydney didn’t seem to mind the closeness. If anything, she settled deeper into her pillow.

Chris and I are participating in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University through our church, and in the sidebar of last week’s workbook pages, Dave has this quote:

“Accountability and support are the ladders that lift us up from life’s pits.”

I’ve mentioned before that the first half of this year was a major Plan B scenario for Chris and me. Nothing seemed to go according to plan, and the worse things got, the more I wanted to withdraw. Thankfully, we plugged into two great small groups, so we weren’t isolated during such a difficult season in our lives. However, I still fight that tendency to huddle down when storms move in, rather than reaching out for support and accountability from the people God has placed in my life.

Sydney’s instinct today when she was scared was to huddle into the nearest corner, but what was best for her was the closeness of her people and her Annie. Seeing her reaction reminded me that we aren’t meant to face the storms of life alone. The only way to get over the fear that accompanies a storm is to face it, and the best way to face fear is with support and accountability from people you trust.

Comment Guide for Today

I thought I’d follow Havi’s cue and try a new thing with comments on the blog. Instead of leaving the discussion open-ended, here are a few thoughts to prompt your interaction with this post.

Are you facing a storm? Who can you reach out to for support and accountability? If a friend of yours is facing one of life’s storms right now, how can you provide the support and accountability they need to come out safely on the other side?

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