Triaging my umbrella

Full confession. I am a “problem prioritizer”.

I have a self proclaimed gift for solving problems.

So, I double and triple down on that “gift” as often as I can.

This requires the utmost attention to details. I must constantly be on high alert of even the slightest “perturbation”  and give it my undivided attention to get to the root cause early and restore order.

But I don’t stop there, when I am not actively solving a problem, I must switch to my second gift –  predicting problems.

If I had to rate myself on my prediction abilities, without a doubt, 10. I am so good I can predict problems that no one else would even consider.  🤔

Summer in Florida is amazing from about 5 am to 3 pm. After 3, most Floridians will switch to an indoor activity or prepare to get wet.  Yes, our beloved afternoon downpours. Rain in Florida is quite unique, lasting long enough just to get you wet before the glorious life-giving, spirit-boosting, mind-cleansing sunshine resumes its rightful position. Yes, I am an unapologetic and devout Floridian.

That said, I rarely let our 5-minute downpours deter me from my afternoon walks. I will hit the pavement rain or shine. Sometimes I get lucky and “beat” the storm. Other times, my umbrella works as advertised as I walk through the storm. However, sometimes the wind has other plans and I return home completely soaked.

This past week, my walks were quite eventful as we have had an above-average amount of rain. On one particular day, the clouds were pretty dark, and by my estimation, I had about 60 minutes to squeeze in a walk before the dark clouds would be directly overhead. Severe thunder and lightning is the only “deal breaker”. I knew there was a good chance I wouldn’t beat the rain as I could see “the wall” approaching (the beautiful edge of a rainstorm). So, I threw the umbrella in my bag, and headed out.

Florida summers are unpredictable.  Sometimes you get caught in an unexpected storm without your umbrella. Sometimes the wind will have you returning home soaked and “triaging” an inverted umbrella. And despite this, I rarely, if ever, have wished for the storm to go away. Maybe, somewhere deep down, I know (in Florida) this would be an undefeatable “battle”, so with great deference, I don’t.

The way I approach summer in Florida, is the way some people, who I highly admire, approach every area of their life.

They have a different “giftedness”. They know that storms will happen and, at times, are happening.  Yet, they can prioritize peace. I have witnessed this in the blog comments, on YouTube, and in real life.  It is as if they know that life is inevitably going to be riddled with storms,  and yet they continue to “do life”.

As if, the way I approach the Florida summer, they approach life.

That life is unpredictable and “storms” are inevitable.

And…..

Storms are also temporary….as is life.

I was about 15 minutes into my aforementioned walk this week, when I was met with a pleasant surprise. The wind changed and the clouds moved, and it never rained. But something else occurred. The dark clouds disappeared and peaking out from behind was a spectacular rainbow with a beautiful band of lavender – A color I rarely see in a rainbow and happenstance, my favorite color.

Such is life in Florida, but I digress….

I by no means think I have “arrived” nor do I know all the ingredients necessary to create the “secret sauce” of consistent and uninterrupted peace and joy.

With that said,

My daily walk gives me a glimse of the potential to see something meaningful In the midst of a storm.

But more than that,

As I observed on this particular day, the “sunshine” has always been there and will continue to be there for all the days we walk the face of this earth. It will rise every morning without fail. And it will set just long enough for us to renew our strength for its return to its rightful position.

When I first started reading the bible in my 20’s, the most fascinating story was the story of Noah, the ark, and the rainbow. Until that point, rainbows meant nothing more to me than just some cool phenomena of water droplets and light. That is, until I read the story of Noah. Noah, who God saw as blameless, was called by God to build an ark to save him and his family from a great flood, which God used to destroy all life on earth after he saw the wickedness and evil of mankind. When the water receded, God set a rainbow in the clouds, making an everlasting covenant with Noah and a promise to never flood the earth again.

Today, rainbows are a reminder that this covenant still exists. I am not a theologian and still consider myself to be quite ignorant about the bible, and God (the father, son, and the holy spirit). But this is what I know. God is good. God is love. And God’s love endures throughout the ages to prepare us for eternal home in heaven.

And

“Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal.” – C. S. Lewis in the Power of Pain

And,

“The moment that judgment stops through acceptance of what it is, you are free of the mind. You have made room for love, for joy, for peace.” — Eckhart Tolle

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