In the heart of Simpson County, Mississippi, my grandfather, Charlie Walker found himself raising his children alone after his wife passed away. He was a man of quiet strength and tended to his family with steady hands and a soul anchored in faith. One of those children was my mother, Clara.
She remembered a day when the sky turned dark and the wind began to roar. Standing at the doorway of their old farmhouse, they watched a tornado tearing through a neighbor’s house and it was headed straight for them.
But her papa did not panic. He gathered the children close, wrapped them in his arms, and prayed. His presence was calm, unwavering. Clara says it was his stillness that kept them from falling into fear. Just before the tornado reached their home, it turned. They sighed with relief, but the memory never left her.
That day became part of our family’s story. It was a quiet miracle, a reminder that sometimes, the storm turns, and sometimes, the calm in one person’s heart is what saves everyone else. So, when we have storms in our lives, we can be that calming presence, we can be that anchor of peace for ourselves and others. We have an affirmation at the spiritual center where I serve, “God provides ways when to human sense there is no way.” [i]
I believe my Grandpa Charlie had faith so deep that he knew that no matter what, they would be okay. My faith has deepened with every storm I have faced in my own life as well. I have grown to know that no matter what is going on in the world, I can find peace within. When something comes up, I pray like this, “The light of God enfolds me and I am at peace. I express that same peace in the world. Thank you, God. Amen.” JudyV
[i] https://www.unity.org/en/article/10-techniques-abundant-living