After The Storm

I woke up yesterday morning feeling colder than usual. Outside, I could hear the strong wind blowing at 100 mph or so. The clouds were dark and everything was soaked wet by the heavy rain. It was Sunday but it didn't feel like one. "Frank" is finally here I thought. The night before, as early as 10 in the evening, the weather forcasters have already raised the warning of an impending disaster approaching - signal no. 3, and true enough, as I'm reading the news today about the aftermath of the storm, the devastation and the number of people missing from a sea tragedy left behind by typhoon "Frank" are astounding - 700 persons .

What a horrible way to die! - a slow and painful death. It is one of my primal fear. The thought of myself drowning in the middle of the sea and the sight of a hungry tiger shark circling around you is enough to make me die of terror. It is the kind of death I would not want for myself or for anyone. This makes me think twice about riding a ferryboat in the future and if ever I will have to travel by sea I will bring with me a colorful inflatable floater just in case so I can be seen and rescued immediately. What a paranoid thought. Okay, seriously, I just want to enjoin everyone to pray for the victims of the ill-fated ferry mishap. Tragedies do happen unfortunately and at this moment no amount of pointing fingers and blaming who is responsible will ever bring back the lives of the hundreds still missing until now.

Do you still recall a scene in the Gospel where Christ and His disciples were caught in the middle of a storm and the disciples were all freaking out, afraid that they all might go down with the boat? How about Christ? There he was in a corner of a boat sleeping soundly as a babe. What a contrast! - Christ sleeping in peace amidst the fury of the storm. "Be still", Christ said, and the winds and waves obeyed Him. Ah, how I wish I have the same pacifying effect on the storms going on in my life right now. I wish I have that tremendous amount of faith and conviction that Someone is in total control of all things.

There will always be "storms" in our life - some we can anticipate, others catch us totally unprepared. A storm, no matter how furious and destructive, does not stay for too long. After the dark clouds have been cast away there is always the sun to brighten things up, and no matter what kind of storm we're all going through right now - it will come to pass. It may wear us down physicall but not spiritually.

Be strong.