Rough Seas Ahead

Edmond, from The Count of Monte Cristo said, ~Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered in the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.~ Life, for each and every one of us, is never smooth sailing as we pull up anchor and set sail on our own personal journey through the high seas. As one looks across the open waters he or she contemplates all the possible destinations where one can drift away to. For we all have that metaphorical map set in front of us as we chart the rest of our lives. Yet, it is sometimes not used at all as one simply relies on where the winds of fate will take him or her

In some aspect, each of us is in a small boat trying to explore a very big ocean. An ocean that swallows people whole both in a literal and metaphorical sense, which can change a person. For it is when we get farther and farther from shore the waters of life start to get treacherous. The bright beautiful blue skies have now been replaced by the dark ominous clouds, which is never a good sign. Whether one is prepared for it or not, it can make any person scared to be out there as you find yourself experiencing the calm before the storm. It can be a truly uneasy feeling as you look around your surroundings and think to yourself why is this happening to me of all people.

Oftentimes, we may feel like we're up a creek without a paddle, in a manner of speaking. Initially, there comes a point in one's life where he or she thinks is gaining mileage but is actually not going anywhere at all. It can be a frustrating situation for any person to be in as the waves toss and turn you in every different direction, which can alter course of one's destination and become absolutely lost. It's at that point, we try to figure out whether or not the journey that one set on was actually worth traveling in the first place. It's just a matter of conquering the forces of nature by looking in the one place that has a fighting spirit to keep on going when the mind wants to give up and that place is in your heart.

If you think about it, it's that way when it comes to love and relationships as well. Each of us, at one time or another, has experienced the somewhat disorienting effects of being thrown in every different direction but in the direction one wants to go. One can go through a whirlwind of emotions as a person's mind, body, and soul can undergo a so-called perfect storm that no human alive would ever survive from. Let me ask you a question, have you ever felt lost in the sense that by seeking out that beacon of light he or she will somehow rescue our heart from sinking into that deepest, darkest depths of the ocean where wreckage of past relationships and heartbreak now reside.

In retrospect, we have to learn to not be afraid of what is in store for each of us as we go through our own particular storms. Yet, it's within these storms that a person grows, learns, receives blessings from it and in turn gives thanks for them. For it is within that non-fearful attitude that we see the beauty of all things that were created and start to appreciate what life has to offer. Undoubtedly, there will be times where we want to jump ship because certain aspects of our lives are simply overwhelming but that is to be expected from time to time. In the end, there will be undoubtedly rough seas ahead for each of us, which can't be avoided; but if we keep our faith in God, then He will help see us through life's most difficult storms.