A Norvell Note for May 28, 2022
Vol. 26 No. 21
Life in a Whirlwind
Our daughter-in-law was inside the school our two older granddaughters attend while we waited outside, doing our best to entertain the two little girls. It was a windy day in Brooklyn. A small whirlwind began to form in a cove just outside the school’s door. I stood there gently rocking the stroller back and forth, watching the whirlwind.
The wind picked pieces of debris that had collected in the area. Leaves, bits of grass, candy wrappers, and a plastic bag spun them in the air. Occasionally the wind would calm, the trash would float to the ground, then it would start up again, adding a few and dropping others. I stood there watching the cycle repeat itself and thought, this is life right now.
Life in a whirlwind is real. We stand in the middle as the events of life fly around us. Jobs, friends, children, grandchildren, sickness, church, health, vacations, life, death, weddings, funerals, failures, victories, and some things we do not recognize spin around us faster than we can comprehend and manage. But somehow, we survive.
Life in a whirlwind surprises us. I’m not sure why it’s surprising, but it is. Should we expect it? Shouldn’t we know by now that things will change, and life will batter us from all directions? Maybe we should, but we are shocked when the winds pick up, and the debris starts whirling around us.
There can be peace in the middle of a whirlwind. We hear meteorologists talk about the calm that exists in the eye of a storm. If I were somehow to stand in the middle of the small whirlwind, I suppose it would be a relatively peaceful place. Maybe this is what Paul had in mind when he talked about the “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
It doesn’t make sense, but somehow God assures us that we can have peace during the storm. “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:39). “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Mark 24:36)
I don’t understand it, but life in a whirlwind can be peaceful. I see it in others. I experience it myself.
You give us peace even in the whirlwind. Thank You.
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