Stormy Weather
If you ever watch the weather forecast, you’ll notice that there are many types of storm. On the radar images they show, these storms are usually color coded, ranging from a very mild green to a more threatening red. Certain types of storms like tornadoes and hurricanes are given numerical categories, ranging from one to five. The vast majority of tornadoes (80%) are in the lower range (F0-F1) while the worst tornadoes (F5) count for less than 1% of these storms.
A preacher once pointed out that the storms in our own lives follow a similar pattern. “Each one of the storms we go through” he said, “are painted a different color of severity, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red.”
He likened the Green storm to getting stuck in traffic on the way to work or to the grocery store, or finding that you’ve misplaced your car keys or wallet. A Yellow storm on the other hand would be when we’re involved in a traffic accident in traffic or when the car won’t start, making you late for a very important appointment. An Orange storm is worse, as when the car accident results in you or a family member being injured, or there’s some other health emergency such as a heart attack or some other life threatening trauma. As for the Red storm, this is so bad that it stops your life and you can think of nothing else. You go into a state of shock, as when you hear the news of a loved one who just died unexpectedly or was killed in an accident.
The preacher makes the sad but true conclusion that “no matter what color of storm we go through, most of the time it takes the Orange and the Red storms for us to turn to God.” As Catholics, we should always turn to God. Whether it’s a minor mishap or a downright tragedy, God is our keeper and deliverer. The 120th Psalm is a beautiful prayer that will comfort us in those difficult times. It is included below, hopefully for your frequent reference.
PSALM 120
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.