A Single Reflection
Column by Eileen Hershberger

The end of the day found me sitting on my little patio, on the swing, just absorbing and reflecting on the last few days of life. The sky was cloudy, with a sense of impending rain to bring to close a day that had already seen intermittent showers and storms. As I sat there, I noticed out over the hills that surround my little apartment clouds had broken and were pouring out their rain on the horizon. I also noticed something else. There, against those storm clouds and in spite the fact they were pouring out their rain, a stubborn band of evening sunshine was tucked up beside that storm cloud doing its best to brighten up the evening sky with orange and red. It was not a big band or even very bright, but it was there. Such a contrast of storm and sun. And I was awed. Awed by the realization that no matter how many storms there are in a day, how fierce or gentle the storms may be…the sun always prevails.

Think about it. No matter how fierce a storm, whether it is a hurricane, a thunderstorm or a good summer rain, it never lasts. The sun always, always appears to remind us that not all is lost. A hurricane may last a day or two and wreck havoc, the thunderstorm may last a few hours and create fear, and the summer rain may last awhile, causing inconvenience, but never do we think that this storm is going to last the rest of our days. Or that the rain, wind and thunder are here to stay. Yet, when we encounter a storm outside of the natural world, we tend to wallow in the certainty that this storm is gonna last forever and there is just nothing we can do and oh poor me, having to live out a storm while the rest of the world gets to live in the sunshine.

I have news for you. Open your eyes and look around you. Chances are you have become so focused on the storm cloud you fail to see the bright sunshine behind you or tucked in right beside the cloud that has you living in fear and dread. Storms are as much a part of our lives as they are a part of the natural world. Maybe a hurricane brings about the destruction of your dreams. Or a thunderstorm of what ifs and ‘why not me’s’ and ‘where are you God’, keeps you awake during the night or perhaps it is a simple shower of realizing that you need to shift your focus and make other plans. Whatever the storm, always remember…God is still God. He still loves you. He hears you. Your storm doesn’t scare Him. You will never encounter a storm so fierce that He will run for cover and leave you on your own. He is there, as steady and as sure as the sunshine that peeks out through the tiniest break in a storm cloud.

The air was getting cooler and I could smell the rain from the storm as it approached across the hills. I left my swing unwillingly, but with a new sense of how great God is. He gives us a lot more sunshine than rain and even in a storm, He sends reminders that we are never alone. There is always a stubborn band of sunshine on the horizon somewhere. All we need to do is look for it.

About the Author: Eileen Hershberger is a full-time student pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education, and a part-time server. She enjoys reading, music, travel and baseball when not working or studying.

© 2007 Eileen Hershberger.