It’s mid-January, and our first winter storm is on its way. It’s interesting to watch all the hustle and bustle that takes place as people prepare for the storms. Grocery stores have been packed for the last few days. Everyone is stocking their pantry and their wood piles and ensuring there is plenty of toilet paper on hand.
My own preparation has consisted of finding a couple of soup recipes to make, pulling out a new puzzle, and several games to play with the family. Fuzzy socks and blankets are washed and ready, too!
Watching the people around me prepare and react to a storm can be entertaining, but what I find even more intriguing is watching how different animals react to storms. A couple of years ago, I came across a striking image of a bison emerging from a snowstorm. The bison emerged like a magical beast transformed by winter, its white coat a testament to its strength and resilience. Along with the image was text explaining that, unlike other animals, bison choose to walk straight into a snowstorm. They don’t try to run away from it, seek shelter from it, or try to go around it. Instead, they face it head-on and walk straight into the blinding storm. The bison instinctively knows this is the quickest way through the storm.
Since I’ve long believed there are lessons for us to learn by studying God’s creatures, I began wondering what lessons the bison could bring.
Then, I thought of what I’ve learned about the eagle and how these majestic birds of prey react to a storm. My sons have both been active in Boy Scouts, where the highest rank is that of Eagle Scout. One fact that has stuck with me about the eagle is how it encounters a storm. Unlike other birds of prey, eagles do not choose to take shelter during a storm. Instead, it uses the strong winds from the storm to fly even higher. The majestic bird essentially “rides” the winds of the storm currents to take it above the turbulent winds and weather. The winds of the storm allow the bird to soar above the storm! “What a beautiful concept!” I thought. My mind began reeling about all the ways we can apply this characteristic of the eagle to our own lives.
Then, today, I learned something new about the butterfly. Butterflies will not fly at all in a storm, or any type of rain. Its wings are too delicate to withstand the raindrops. So, instead, the butterfly rests during a storm and waits until the storm is over to fly once more.
Three different creatures. Three entirely different ways to respond to a storm. The bison charges through. The eagle soars above. The butterfly rests and waits. Which one handles the storm correctly?
The answer lies in how each was created. Each creature was designed differently from the others; each has been given its own unique qualities, and each handles the storms it encounters in the manner that best suits it. The bison, big and bold, bulldozes through his storms. The eagle uses its powerful wings to carry it high above the tempest, and the delicate butterfly uses its innate wisdom to simply be still and rest.
Like these creatures, we all encounter storms in our lives. It’s easy to look around, compare ourselves to others, and suddenly feel inadequate. We see someone charging through life’s challenges and wonder why we can’t do the same. We see someone who seems to rise above their storms and wish we had their strength.
But we, too, are uniquely designed. We, too, were each designed and created with our own unique strengths. Just as it is obvious that a bison and a butterfly will make different instinctive choices about weathering their storms, we should not expect ourselves to manage our storms in the same ways we observe in others. What works for others may not work for you. What you need and how you react to your storms will be unique and specific to how you are designed.
Pray for wisdom to recognize what works best for you. Then, embrace it and put it into action -- without self-doubt or comparison. Be confident that you are handling things in the way that works best for you. God designed you specifically with your unique strengths and delicate ways. Embrace them.
As you face your storms by marching onward, rising above, or needing to rest and wait until you are ready to fly again, trust that God has given you the instinct to know how to weather your life’s storms best.
In every storm, may we remember that our unique response is part of God’s design, leading us in His perfect way.
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”
– Ephesians 2:10"