Strong Winds

This past Sunday night we had strong storms and enormous hail in some areas..up to softball size hail.  Luckily, I mainly got pea-sized hail with some golf ball size hail mixed in.  It hailed for 10 minutes straight with the first 5 minutes being the loudest and hardest.  I was praying my roof would hold up and after it was all over I walked through the house just to make sure nothing was leaking.  But, I did think one of those hailstones was going to break through my back door window and shatter it because it was so loud and it kept hitting the window.  So, a new roof is in order since it's around 14 years old.

Then early this morning another severe storm hit.  I didn't sleep well anticipating the storm coming, so when it did come I was half awake.  The initial winds were crazy strong!  The wildest I'd ever heard or can recall in a very long time.  They said some winds ranged from 60-90 mph.  And some straight-lined winds that reached 95 mph tore apart some houses in a nearby suburb.  A lot of damage from storms this spring and we've got more coming this weekend.  I thought the winds this morning were going to launch something through my back door window, but luckily it's still intact as is my roof.  So, I'm definitely thankful for that!

Although my sister wasn't as lucky.  Their barn and chicken coop was thrown into their backyard and a few hens died.  Thankfully her family is fine and their home wasn't damaged.  But, there's a lot of debris all over their yard that they can't move by hand.  They'll need someone with equipment to move it and haul it away.  Like I said, crazy strong winds!

Sometimes the winds of change hit our lives in unexpected ways.  The winds can be fast and furious, knock us off our foundation, and even leave us speechless.  That's usually when God is saying a change was needed.  You weren't going down the right path, or you weren't growing into your potential, or you simply needed a new perspective to get you going in the right direction.  Whatever the reason your reaction to the situation will either launch you forward and propel you to something greater or you'll let the excuse of something bad happening keep you in the same place or let it push in backwards.  It's really your choice even though it doesn't initially seem like it...it is!  It's a forceful shift in your momentum of life.  What will you decide to do?  Will you be proactive or reactive?  Will you step up and into the winds of change to experience something new and possibly exciting or will you retreat and find comfort in the anguish of the situation?  Yes, we all have a choice at any given time...good/bad, yes/no, right/wrong, left/right, up/down, etc.

I'm hoping whatever strong winds blow your way will lift you up into fulfilling more of your God-given potential and will allow you to soar to greater heights in your life!  May the winds of change bless you towards a more purposeful life!!