Out Of The Gray

Genesis 8:1 -- "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded."

image: Kelly Babb Dalton

The gray Spanish moss dances fiercely in a gray wind that blows out from a gray sky. Tiny particles of water cover everything in the mists that roll in on the seasonal Nor'Easter. It's not really cold - we are in Florida, after all. But the damp seeps into the bones. After a few days its easy for me to understand the gray mood that seems to trickle in on the winds - leaving the spirit limp and soggy.

I heard the sigh from my cozy spot at my computer desk. It doesn't happen often in our home - so the moment I heard it I popped my head into our bedroom to see Steven, video game controller in hand, head propped up on a collection of mis-matched pillows, and lazy cat sitting on his chest. He didn't look sad, exactly - just kind of - blah. Like the weather outside. Hence the sigh.

We are overwhelmed this season. With a slew of family members getting " on up" in years we have some health issues to which we need to adjust. There have been some relationship set backs for our children, car trouble, and a seemingly never-ending loop of financial surprises. I can totally understand the sigh. In fact - I join in. 

Like so many things in this life, however - its all a matter of perspective. If I sit in just the right spot, I can watch a brilliant burst of color dance just as eagerly as does the Spanish moss every time the wind kicks up. With the music of the chimes that hang from my Natchez Myrtle tree as they announce each gust that comes in from the North, my bright orange Birds of Paradise flowers put on a lively show. Against a hazy backdrop of muted hues, a brilliant purple and bright orange put a smile on my face. They drink up the clouds that hang low and seem to shine through the fog.

We are not forgotten - my hubby and I. 

Image: Kelly Babb Dalton

God remembered Noah on his large boat with the sounds from a thousand animals clinging to smelly walls. He sent a wind that may have looked gray from Noah's perspective, at first. But with the wind came the end to the rain and a stiff refreshing breeze to chase the fragrant animal aroma from the stale air. On the gray damp gusts - there came hope.

The Birds of Paradise Flowers - with their fancy colorful Mohawks set to swaying again. They bounce off the long green leaves that spring from large thick stems. I think they must be sharing a joke and spreading joy.

I slide onto the bed next to Steven and mimic his sigh. He looks over at me and before long we are laughing. We enjoy inside jokes and quote favorite movies. We giggle when he misses obvious targets on his video game. We think up crazy gamer tags to use in on-line battles with friends. We know that God hears our every prayer and is aware of our every need. God remembered Noah and sent him a rainbow. 

I know we will receive one, too.  

And if you - like so many - find yourself in a damp and seemingly bitter Nor'Easter that attempts to rob the color from your winter - just remember: God remembers you, too.