HILLBILLY STORM WATCH
Hillbilly Storm Watch – A REPOST from August 2012
“The clouds are rollin’ in,” I noted the obvious.
“Looks like a storm,” she agreed.
“Might cool it off,” I mumbled.
“Mmm hmm,” she replied
I realized we sounded like something straight out of a Hee Haw rerun – a couple of hillbillies using just enough sounds to get our unneeded point across. A hillbilly storm watch.
Some storms you can see coming for miles away, others, well, they can sneak up on ya’. Storms don’t sneak up on a person so easy in west Texas… but that’s another story… Some of the bad storms bring danger, but even when we know there’s a possibility of danger, we see the majestic beauty in a distant storm.As we watched the threatening dark sky bear down on us, I thought about the other kind of storms; those storms that blow in just like the storm we were watching, but don’t have anything to do with the weather. If the storms of life could be compared to the real live ones, then it’s been hurricane season around here for the last five years or so… no sign of letting up neither…
“Maybe it’ll skirt around us?” I wondered aloud.
“Maybe?” my wife mumbled back.
“The desert could use some rain,” I spouted another unneeded observation. My wife didn’t even bother to respond to that one… She’s not much of a hillbilly anyway…
Interesting how the physical storms bring danger but sometimes needed turmoil that cleans and provides the basics of things needed for life, just in abundance. That’s easy to see in the physical reality of this world, but not so easy regarding our spiritual lives.
All the stormy seasons of life have left us with things we use in our lives… I don’t believe in bad luck. Period. I believe there are consequences to our actions or lack thereof, and for the choices we make. Sometimes the biggest blessings come from rebuilding after the big storms of our lives have blown through.
The cleanup process can take time, but we don’t leave the mess, we always clean it up and we become a little more prepared for the next time a storm blows through.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Yep,” my wife pushed out of her chair. She is sounding more like a hillbilly every day. “Think the dogs’ll be alright?”
“They’re dogs,” I answered. “They’ll be fine…”
Maybe we need to start looking for the beauty in those spiritual storms like we do the weather ones. It could very well be that the season of our storms won’t pass until our perspective does…
bill (cycleguy)
Sunday, November 12, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
So right Floyd: start looking for the beauty in those spiritual storms like we do the weather ones. Sure would change our perspective.
Lynn D. Morrissey
Sunday, November 12, 2017 @ 6:36 pm
Excellent Floyd. There is beauty in storms. Actually I love nothing better than to be cozy inside hearing lightening and dounpours, and at times like those, I wish we had tin roof! 🙂 I don’t like power outages, however. There is a beauty is God sending rain and storms and I love your point about sometimes we need a big wind to sweep out the debris. Sometimes I just wish I’d do that in my own life so God didn’t have to send a storm. Spiritual storms are hard, but necessary. Thanks for another great post.
Lynn
Hazel Irene Moon
Sunday, November 12, 2017 @ 6:55 pm
A good storm can leave a lot of damage. I find large Oak limbs in my driveway beaten down by the rain. Robert always told me to be careful walking under those big trees after a storm. When we lived in Oklahoma, we did enjoy real storms, with wind, rain, lightening hail – – the works. I remember one night as we were all packed and ready to leave for California in the morning . . as we slept on mattresses on the floor – – there was the most terrible rain storm with lightening and thunder. I suppose it was a good bye and fair well offering and “you all come back now.” Only once did we head for the shelter when the hurricane warning sounded. The tornado lifted and went over Broken Arrow and spun out in a desert place. Now that was a miracle.
Martha Orlando
Sunday, November 12, 2017 @ 6:56 pm
“I don’t believe in bad luck. Period. I believe there are consequences to our actions or lack thereof, and for the choices we make. Sometimes the biggest blessings come from rebuilding after the big storms of our lives have blown through.”
Floyd, this could be the story of my life, and not mine alone, but the stories we can all tell. We know that God can calm the storm, but He also knows how much we need to learn from them. In my year of “Huge,” the storms have turned into blessings, gratitude, and much more dependence upon the Lord than ever I could imagine. I’ve been changed in ways I could never have predicted, and it’s all good in God’s sight.
And, hey! Nothing wrong with Hillbilly reflections – they run deep here in the South. 🙂
Blessings to you!
saleslady371
Sunday, November 12, 2017 @ 7:28 pm
The spiritual storms clean up a lot of debris of another kind. So let’s praise Him in the storm as the beautiful song says. I noticed on the evening news tonight, our state is so very dry with little hint of rain expected. I forgot how many dry days the weatherman reported. I am such a hillbilly. Have a great week.
Chuck Allen
Sunday, November 12, 2017 @ 9:11 pm
I’ve always loved a good thunderstorm. (I have no attachment to tornados, though.) In my spiritual life it seems I often resist the storms regardless of their size or intensity. Nicely written, Floyd!
Dikkon
Monday, November 13, 2017 @ 8:33 am
Well worth bringing back after 5 years, Floyd. One of your best. Excellently written. I loved your succinct interweaving of life storms and weather storms! Personally, I need more often to be reminded of the truth of your last sentence.
Cheryl
Monday, November 13, 2017 @ 9:10 am
Wonderful advice, brother. I am so sorry the storms of life have hit so hard for you all over the past few years. Your strength and resolve is inspiring. Sometimes, the aftermath is harder than the storm, and the picking up of the pieces and trying to resume some sense of “normalcy” can take so long. Through it all, we prove God’s faithfulness, time after time. Praying for you and your family and so appreciate you all.
Lisa notes
Tuesday, November 14, 2017 @ 12:20 pm
I have to laugh at this because it’s from the mouth of Jeff:
“They’re dogs,” I answered. “They’ll be fine…”
But yes, your larger point is well-taken. May we each find the silver lining in those spiritual storms, even if we have to spend energy looking!
TC Avey
Thursday, November 16, 2017 @ 12:09 pm
Thank you for re-posting this. It’s a great post and so true. We often think of storms as bad. We see the damage, the cleanup, the hard work.
God see’s the purpose. He sees the beauty. He knows the need for the storm.
We must trust Him through the storms. Not lament them.
I’ve been missing reading your posts, friend. Life has been busy and getting busier all the time. I keep thinking life will settle down. But it doesn’t. Major storms in my life that have lasted a few years are settling and with them a peaceful confidence in God’s love as well as hope renewed as I face the next chapter in my life.
God bless you and your family. Happy Holidays.