I made it home from another whirlwind trip to Texas. Whether I drive or fly, the time spent in Texas is like a whirlwind. There’s so much to do, so many to see, and the fact that you are not in your comfortable slice of everyday life, it’s often better to keep moving as fast as possible. Why? You want to get back to your own home and way of life.
There are many ways to describe this, and a blog post could become a novel! F-O-C-U-S!
Consider the traveling experience. I know I do every time I think about going everywhere. Travel is more comfortable when I drive. Why? I take my world with me! It may be more spendy and time-consuming, but to give up my creature comforts for a cigar tube crammed with others? Give me the open road!
There are rules to every mode of life, but at least I can make driving decisions by going from “here to yonder” on my own paths.
Flying? Unless you want to fly to the wrong airport on a direct flight, most of the time, I’m finding that a 4-hour flight becomes 8-10 hours of frustrating experiences as you hop across the country to your final destination. You have to change your mantra to fit the typical response of passengers everywhere.
“Tell me what to do, where to go, how to sit, when to buckle, stand, or even how to think.”
It’s a frustrating experience of squashed space that even that infamous bug in a rug will feel challenged. Hurry up, get there! Now, please wait until we are ready for you! Let your frustration leak out of your actions, and you may be banned!
Flying from Houston Hobby to Sacramento was the strangest flight ever.
I’ll tell you about it someday after I figure out how to be nice about the experience.
Does The Whirlwind Stop?
I’m home, sitting in the dining room. It’s dark. 4:15 a.m. found me awake with many “at home” tasks rumbling through my mind. The whirlwind of traveling has stopped, only to see myself plopped back in the whirlwind of home.
Were I better focused, I would be on a plane again headed to a conference I should be at in Florida. That’s a whirlwind on top of many whirlwinds! While deciding which whirlwind to ride, we kept our eyes on Hurricane Ian. Where will it go? Who gets slammed and disrupted? Can I help? My brother works with an organization called Reach Out America. If you want to help, click the link and help! ROA is there to assist in the aftermath. Disasters are a whirlwind of and within themselves. As they march, they spawn outward, creating other storms of rescue, recovery, and restoration.
I can only say that some whirlwinds create an emergency focus that changes all our other whirlwinds.
Do Whirlwinds Ever Cease?
The answer? No. Whirlwinds are always with us.
They are either felt every second or
Or trouncing at the bit around every corner
to unhinge our lives and existence.
Their shapes, sizes, and intensities
will adapt to the vacancy and void that fills our life.
Give them an inch, and they will take a mile.
They take no prisoners and collide with force.
Slamming the innocent and innocence from side to side.
Major storms do not cause minor skirmishes to cease.
Though they take precedence,
the unknown and remaining tasks will someday arise.
“I need to be settled and solved. Now!”
Suddenly, the little one becomes huge without rhyme or reason.
I’m Back Home
I’ve left one whirlwind to reenter another one that is more comfortable to deal with. Why? This is my home. It’s where I’m supposed to be, and this is what I’m supposed to do.
Do you ever feel the call to another life?
Sure. We all do.
Were God to Speak, S-N-A-P! I’m gone!
But he has not, nor do I think he will.
Why? My whirlwind of life has been anchored.
I will age into the sunset,
probably no further from my kids and church than I am today.
Am I sad? No!
This whirlwind is my life and who I am.
Now. Let’s get to work!
Storms come and go. Everyday. Everywhere. All the time. We can worry about tomorrow or put our souls into the fight against today’s storms and get busy.
“Therefore do not worry, saying,
‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For after all these things the Gentiles seek.
For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(Matthew 6:31-34 NKJV)