The Storm

Good Morning! 

Last night, daughter Heather came downstairs to set my iphone to alarm should a tornado come through.  The weather forecast was for strong storms to come through in the wee hours of the morning. What neither one of us could know at the time was that I would be fully awake at the time the storms came through Cleveland.  I listened as the wind rose and the rain pelted the porch and the roof of the house.  I got up one time to check outside, observing that I need to clean the front gutters … again.  But, just as the storm rose, it soon passed through … and calm came. 

I don’t need to tell anyone that our earth is in the middle of a gigantic storm. And it is obvious that many are concerned about the future … just check out the empty shelves in the grocery stores. I remember a day when America boasted of its fully stocked shelves … including toilet paper and paper towels.  I reminded my grandchildren that we did not use paper towels when I was a child … too expensive.  We used dishtowels and dishcloths to wipe up messes … and then we washed them and hung them out to dry … on this thing called a clothesline. 

Speaking of the clothesline … when Bruce, Claire and I were children, we spent a large amount of our time at my grandmother’s house on Oakdale Road.  Grandma Ward was the cornerstone of her family … setting a life example that lives even today in the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren … and even beyond.  One of her traits was to care for her family.  She owned a big house that had many bedrooms … enough to house herself, her sister, two cousins … and us.  She also provided shelter for students who were attending Emory University.  Her widowed sister, Aunt Mae, lived with Grandma Ward.  Aunt Mae was legally blind and Grandma took good care of her needs.  Every Monday was wash day.  Grandma did have a washing machine … but no dryer.  She hung the clothes out on a line that stretched from one pecan tree to another pecan.  Aunt Mae wore boxer shorts … which us children made good fun of whenever we saw them hanging out there … but not around Grandma.  We would get a good scolding.

Granddaddy Ward died in July 1939 … just before Social Security began making payments. Grandma’s income came from the rentals she received from the Emory students.  Grandma didn’t have a lot … but what she had, she shared.  When Dad stopped contributing to our care and Mom lost the house on Alder Court, Grandma made room for us … moving into the little apartment that she rented to Emory students.  Somehow, we made do … never missing a meal; always having enough. 

Were there “storms”?  Yes!  But Grandma Ward never allowed a storm to overcome her. She lived by faith.  I guess she had been through enough in her lifetime to know that God was always close by … ready to speak to the storm and say “Peace, be still.”  Grandma taught us all well … passing her faith on to her children … who passed it on to us.  I think of Aunt Jane whose daughter had cystic fibrosis … yet was always ready to come to our aid when needed.  I think of Aunt Bette who raised six children who have demonstrated their strength of character.  And I think of my Mom … and her teachings to Bruce, Claire and myself.  Each one of us have had to step up to help family.  I look at my children who carry those same traits forward … and I thank God … not only for Grandma Ward but also for the storms that she endured by faith.

Storms will come … and storms will pass.  The important thing is to endure through the storm … to trust that God is still stronger than any storm we might go through.  Have faith … this storm will pass and we will be stronger for it.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

Prayer: Father, all of our world is in the throes of a pandemic and we are frightened.  But we know that You are in control … and we place our trust in You to bring us through this storm. We beseech You, dear Father, to strengthen us to stay calm in our storm. In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today: Mark 4:35-40