I started out my run with the sun on my side, warmth on my cheek as I breathed in the moisture in the air. There were a few clouds in the sky overhead, but when I glanced to the north, I could see the line of a cold front spreading across the horizon for miles. Several shades of gray were rolling toward me, and the deepest, darkest, almost black, clouds were closest to the ground.
This piece of weather I was seeing was like a tidal wave in its enormity, but I was still drenched in sunlight. I watched as the leading edge of this front approached the outline of the sun. I waited, noticing how the side of the street I was on was still illuminated by the sun, while the other side of the street was darkening with every step I took. The leaves on the trees in front of me were dancing quickly in response to the increasing winds, while the air surrounding me was still and calm.
At once, the sting of warmth on my cheek disappeared while the Technicolor of a naturally beautiful Florida afternoon turned to gray. The sun was gone. The front had overtaken it. Still, the air was mild and humid. The moment I wondered if I would get stuck in the rain, a burst of cold air almost knocked me over. I could feel it approaching, and it took my breath as it passed me by. The temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees.
And then, suddenly, the clouds opened up and I was drenched by the huge drops falling all around me. I heard k.d. lang singing,
“Wash,
Wash me clean
Mend my wounded seams.
Cleanse my tarnished dreams”
Invigorated, I knew I was not alone. I was witness to and participant in the greatness of Nature’s power.
I was reminded in that brief ten minutes of time, how, if we find that center of Sunlight, if we can connect with the Observing Self within us and just watch, our experience of any storm that threatens to overpower us can be one of wonder, calm, and joy. We can participate fully in the thick of Life without being swept away by it, no matter how cold, wet or uncomfortable we may feel…
It is in the Consciousness of the moment that we find our Light; our connection to the Power that transcends the material life we lead.
Keep watching your experience in this crazy world in which we all live. None of it will destroy us, unless we give into the illusion that the external events and happenings define us. Nothing could be further from the Truth. And the Truth lies within Your Consciousness.
Peace and Blessings to you in this New Year.