It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
No, I'm serious, it really was a dark and stormy night in Shawnee, Oklahoma where I was going to college. I was alone in the mobile home (A really nice one by the way!) that I shared with my roommate. Dark and stormy turned into terrifying in a matter of minutes and I watched the walls begin to move in and out as if they were breathing. The roar of what I was sure was a tornado just overhead grew louder. The wind drove the rain horizontally, pelting the metal walls with such force that I could feel the spray of water coming through the edges of the windows. Then there was silence as the storm passed by continuing on its frightening path.
I stepped outside and saw limbs and other light debris but no damage for us, other than my frayed nerves. Others were not so lucky with several homes having been blown off their foundations. What saved ours? A few days earlier, my roommate and I had spent a Saturday digging deep holes to install anchors for just such a situation. Those anchors saved the structure I was living in and perhaps much more than that.
My point? Storms will come and anchors are needed. What are your anchors? What, or who, helps you stay grounded when times are tough? Values? Commitments? Relationships? Those are the things that, while not necessarily rigid, are constants in your life, giving you the foundation you need during uncertain and unpredictable times.
Special Note: The time to put your anchors in place is when the sun is shining and the sky is clear. Sure, it can be sweaty hard work but much easier than trying to gather all the scattered pieces when things are blown off the foundation.
