Beauty in the Storm

I recently found out that I'm not studying abroad this coming semester in Manchester. And I've been really sad because it's something that I've wanted for three years. I'm upset about all of the things that I was going to do in Manchester that I now can't do.  I'm sad that I won't get to try British tea, and go to the museums in Manchester. I'm probably going to be sad for a while, and I may or may not tear up in the middle of class or in-between classes. And that's okay. But I've been really lucky to have friends who are super supportive, whether by offering hugs, food, or prayers. They try to brighten my day. One friend offered to pray the rosary for me, while another offered to take me journal shopping--because I have an obsession with stationary and writing--another tried to bring me food, and they all offered me hugs... Lots and lots of hugs. My favorite moments with them were perhaps those moments when I forgot what I had lost, and I was in the present moment--spending time with them and laughing. They reminded me of all the good things that I would be here for, like Ice Skating, Awakenings, Spring Break, my 21st Birthday (which will actually mean something here).

Seeing and hearing a storm coming can be terrifying, and it can be miserable when you walk out of class to find yourself in the middle of a downpour. Every day we are faced with storms, moments of suffering, struggle, and hardship. We face many open doors and can be uncertain of which one to go through. We face having a door shut, and we are sad because we don't have the opportunity to go through that door, and see what that door could have offered.We face a lot of reminders of what could have been or what hasn't happened yet. And that means we can feel sad or anxious. And I think that in moments of sadness, just like our friends here on Earth, God is trying to brighten our day. He sends us clouds, and flowers, a bird flitting on the ground or through the snow. He walks with us, and reminds us of His presence in the wind. Bolts of lightning, the satisfying sound of thunder and rain on a rooftop. A good section in a song, or the giggle of a baby while you're sitting in church. He sends us the friends who hug us and hold our hands. He walks with us through others. And we each have the opportunity to not only walk with God, but be God to someone else by caring for them. But no pressure.

In today's Mass readings, it says, in Psalms 33:
"But the plan of the Lord stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations...
upon those who hope for his kindness,
to deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine,"

God's plans, his designs, are from his heart. God is an artist--an artist follows their passions, and values the integrity of their pieces. God sees value in each of his creations, and he takes the time to make them as they were meant to be. They're carefully crafted with love, rather than logic. He is not looking for the most efficient way, or the hardest, or the easiest way. He is looking for the best way. The way that will bring us to our most beautiful selves. And He uses the storms that we face in our lives to mold us into who we could be. And we should hope for his kindness--his love. Because God is full of kindness, and He is showing it to us constantly. I think that even in sadness we can find little moments of joy if we only remember to look.

So my long story short, God gives us beauty in the storm.