One morning, we were headed out the door for Church activity and I thought I heard some rain. I said “uh-oh, it sounds like rain” and Elisha echoed “uh-oh”. Elyssa, with her usual sassy-ness said:
“It doesn’t matter, we have an umbrella!”.
It made me reflect upon the confidence that comes with preparation. True, a little rain is no adversity; however, it is a good analogy.
I look back and I see that the moments that most crushed me were those when adversity was unexpected; therefore, I was certainly not prepared.
Can you sleep while the wind blows?
I am reminded of another story that helps us explain this principle.
Years ago there was a farmer he owned some land along the Atlantic coast. He constantly was advertising for hired farm hands. Most people back then were very reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the raging storms that wreaked havoc on the buildings and crops.
The farmer was interviewing the applicants for the job, but everyone kept telling him no. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle-aged, approached the farmer.
Are you a good farmhand? The farmer asked him.
Well, I can sleep while the wind blows, the little man answered.
Although the farmer was puzzled by his answer, he was desperate for help. So he hired this man.
It seemed to be a good choice since the new farmhand was busy from dawn until dusk. The farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.
One night the wind started to blow quite loudly. It howled in from offshore.
The farmer jumped out of bed, grabbed a lantern, and rushed next door to the hired farmhand’s sleeping quarters.
He shook the little man.
“Get up. There’s a storm coming. Tie things down before everything blows away.”
The little man just rolled over in bed and said firmly:
“No, sir, I told you I can sleep when the wind blows.”
The farmer was enraged by this response and he wanted to fire the man on the spot.
Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm and he was amazed at what he found.
He discovered that all the haystacks had been covered with tarps.
The cows were in the barn.
The chickens were in the coops.
The doors had all been barred.
The shutters were tightly secured.
Everything had been tied down and nothing could blow away.
That is when the farmer realized and understood what the hired hand meant. So he returned to his bed so he could sleep also while the wind blew.
A little preparation goes a long way. It helps us sleep while the wind blows in our lives.
They say “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity”. This principle can lessen uncertainty in times of trial and can also land us in success in times of opportunity.
Being prepared does not mean predicting the future or playing scenarios in our heads. It means to have the moral fiber, the faith, and the tools to withstand anything that may come our way. It’s about dancing in the rain!
The motivational writer AL Williams once said: All you can do is all you can do and all you can do is enough but make sure you do all you can do.
An often underestimated “tool” is our network. When we have people who care, support, guide, help, and strengthen, we are prepared. Many times I’ve failed to ask for help and now I realize we must give others the opportunity to serve, too!
It’s great to have an umbrella when it rains, but one must not obsess. I’ve also learned to have balance in all things:
“Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren’t enjoying today’s sunshine.” ~ William Feather
Have a Sun-shiny day… or a fun dance in the rain!
Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.
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