Walking Into the Wind by Sally Friscea

Walking Into the Wind

by Sally Friscea

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever”

(2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NLT).

I thought life would be easier, despite my parents’ dutiful warnings of its unfairness. Still, I expected periods of smooth sailing now and again. I know some people have it far worse, but the struggles of others can become our burdens. An aging parent demands more of our already limited time. A coworker’s emergency increases the piles on our desks. Our own unforeseen troubles upend life and threaten to take us off course. In these situations, everything we learn becomes a truth about which we can write.

Florida is my home, so I’ve seen gentle breezes as well as hurricane-strength winds. If you face the right way, you can enjoy a cool brush of air as it combs your hair back to clear your view.  The ordeal of greater gales that uproot our days can nurture benefits, like the deeper appreciation of peace or joy both in and beyond the storm.

Healthy palm trees survive storms because years of enduring regular wind and rain give them hard trunks and deep root systems. Nature’s resilience emulates how we can increase our physical strength by a hearty resistance workout or by lifting heavy weights.

Similarly, we can grow mentally and spiritually when troubles assault us. If we give in under long or severe attacks, we tumble and become battered. But by walking into the wind, we strengthen our resolve. Like regular exercise of our gifts, we practice our craft and saturate ourselves with the word and prayer. Then, during calmer times we clean up, and come back stronger to write the next article, devotion, or novel. We sprinkle the salve of compassion and encouragement on those hanging on by their fingertips. So, we proclaim this truth with deep soul roots and fortified heart-trunks—eventually the storms pass.

Father God, help us to press into you during the hard times. Give us your words to share with others during their storms. Remind us always that the gift of writing is to glorify you to those in need. Amen.

Sally Friscea, married for the first time at fifty, writes with humor to give hope to the longing heart. Calling the Space Coast of Florida home, she’s prior military and now a bookkeeper and multi-genre award-winning author. She sells her crafts on Etsy, and her menopause book with humorous stories and treatments, Hot Mess Express, is now available on Amazon. Connect with her through her website, SallyFriscea.com