Over the weekend trees blown by the wind fell on electrical lines cutting off power to many members of our community. Thanks to the efforts of those tasked with disentangling heavy limbs from live wires and repairing broken connections, power was restored within a matter of hours.

For the most part those of us living in remote areas are accustomed to such interruptions and have attuned our attitudes and responses accordingly. At the same time, I confess that powerful winds tap the fears in my lizard brain.

Perhaps planted during childhood in Kansas and Oklahoma when tornado warnings would send our family to huddle in our shelter rooms, those fears grew with age during years of monitoring hurricanes coming up the east coast when we lived there. Today, strong gusts continue to bring me the greatest unease.

Yesterday, I discovered that a large birch tree on our land had succumbed to the wind’s force. Fortunately, it fell downhill from the lines into our house. As I assessed the situation it occurred to me that the very forces I feared had brought a gift. Laid out before me was the balance of firewood we would need to feed our stoves in the coming winter. In addition, the timing could not be more propitious, occurring before the full arrival of the seasonal black fly nuisance. As the picture shows, I began bucking it up.

Perhaps this episode can serve as reminder to you as well. What is a gift within the fears you face today? How can it help transform your prospects for the coming days?  Is it helpful to know that you are not alone?