George looked out the front window of his home, noticing
with alarm the funnel cloud moving in slow motion toward his neighborhood. He heard the tornado sirens go off and quickly
ushered his wife, his three small children, and the family dog into the
basement just as the winds hit. In less
than 60 seconds the neighborhood that he had lived in for much of his life was
decimated. George and his family and
their neighbors were alive, but their formerly stable, secure, kind of “ho-hum”
existence was instantly transformed into a nightmare of homelessness and
uncertainty. They would need a great
deal of grace in the days ahead.
Mary could
not wait for the big wedding day coming up in a few short weeks. She and Rick had met in college, courted for
a year and a half, saved their money, and excitedly planned for this day to
come. Everything would be perfect; her
dress, the music, the food, the presence of her friends and family, and then
the honeymoon! She and Rick were as
prepared as they felt they could be. But
transitions always bring some surprises. What would they be? Going from singleness to a twosome is a
transition. Whether easy or hard, they
would need grace in the days ahead.
Helen went
in to work as usual this Friday morning.
She had been working as an administrative assistant in this company for
18 years. She was hoping to be able to
work until she reached the age of 68; this would enhance her retirement
portfolio and give her a better feeling of security after the death of her
husband two years ago. On her desk was
an envelope. She opened it to find a
pink slip. What a way to announce the
downsizing! Her world suddenly caved in
and she unexpectedly was in the midst of a transition. She would need a good deal of grace in the
days ahead.
Stability,
according to Webster’s Dictionary, is the quality or state of being firmly
established. It is predictable,
constant, and unchanging; helping us to feel secure and safe. We all desire stability in our lives and work
hard to keep it when we have it.
