Storms and springtime

At this time of year, the weather here in Ireland vacillates between cold winter storms and warm bright days with a taste of springtime. This can happen even within the same day! In the midst of particularly bad storms, like we had recently with Storm Isha, and especially for those whose homes or property was damaged, it is hard to imagine the good and pleasant days of late spring and summer. Similarly, on a lovely warm spring afternoon like we had here in Dublin a few days ago, with temperatures hitting record highs for January, it is hard to remember that only a few days previously the top came off our old monkey puzzle tree trunk in Storm Isha! This reminds me of the verse from the Book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach):

“At a time of prosperity, adversity is forgotten,
and at a time of adversity, prosperity is not remembered” (Sir 11:25).

Isn’t human life just like this? We have storms and sunshine at different times during our lives. Hopefully nobody has a lifetime full of only storms! During difficult times of suffering, illness and loss, we forget about positive things that have happened in our lives, or we find it hard to recognise positive things around us. The storms seem to be eternal. But they will pass. The Meterological experts give names to bad storms in order to make it easier to communicate about them and somehow help people to get through them with minimal impact. Perhaps at times it would help to do the same with our life storms in order to help us to see past them to a future springtime when the flowers will blossom again in our lives?

If you are in a storm right now, know that we are praying for you here at Kilmacud and take heart from the words of Scripture and the words of our saints:

                    See! The winter is past;

    the rains are over and gone.

                 Flowers appear on the earth;
                                                the season of singing has come,
                        the cooing of doves
                                                            is heard in our land.

                                            (Song of Songs 2:11-12)

We easily forget that nothing lasts forever. No pain or pleasure is eternal. As St Teresa wisely prayed, God alone is unchanging.

Let nothing disturb you,
nothing frighten you,
All things are passing,
God is unchanging.
Patience gains all;
nothing is lacking to those who have God:
God alone is sufficient

St Teresa de Jesus (of Avila)

 

Fun Fact:

Between 1864 and 1922, only 4 people were born in Ireland with the surname “Storm”, but 250 people were born in the same period with the surname “Spring”. The name “Storm” as a given first-name was first recorded in the USA in 1946, and in recent years it has become more popular as a first name for both boys and girls. The first name “Spring”, used only for girls is slightly more popular.