When the Storms of Life Come, Where Will You Run?

I currently live in the suburbs of a major metropolitan city, but deep down, I want to be a cowboy. There is just something about the spirit of the West that I am completely drawn to. In my mind, no creature represents these feelings or images better than the American buffalo, which I guess is why they have always fascinated me. The buffalo is an iconic American symbol synonymous with the West, and they hold a prominent place in the culture, history, and folklore of North America.

The sheer size of the buffalo is impressive. Standing six feet tall and weighing up to 2,000 pounds, a buffalo is roughly the size of a Honda Civic, making it the largest North American mammal. They are resilient too. It is estimated that up to 75 million buffalo once roamed North America.

Beyond the imagery, size, and resiliency of the buffalo, their behavior in the face of storms is what really fascinates me. Some animals, like goats, will turn and attempt to outrun the storm. If you’ve ever seen a herd of goats on the move, you know they won’t outpace much of anything. They get tired and scattered and inevitably swallowed up by the bad weather. Their attempts to escape can even end up prolonging their exposure to the storm. Other animals, like cows, will just lie down or herd up together tightly to simply endure the storm as best they can until it finally moves on.

The buffalo, however, will walk directly into the storm. By turning into the storm, buffalo square up their shoulders, assuring the strongest footing against the wind and weather. They also limit their exposure to the storm by passing straight through it. Buffalo still have to deal with the raging storms just like the rest of the animals on the plains, but their adapted response helps to minimize the effects and longevity of the storms for them.

Storms in nature can be scary. However, the various storms of life—whether brought on by a medical diagnosis, trauma, a bad decision, loss, heartache, or a situation we never saw coming—can be straight-up terrifying. Life’s storms can be sudden and intense, and just like out on the plains, we find few opportunities for shelter or reprieve. So the question is: How do we respond? Do we run till we tire and break from exhaustion like the goats? Do we just lie down, hoping things will pass quickly like the cows? Or do we adapt our response, square our shoulders, and choose to take storms head-on like the buffalo?

I have faced many storms in my life. I am well acquainted with suffering, pain, disappointment, and heartache. I know what the end of my rope looks like because I have desperately clung to it. I am also well acquainted with mercy, peace, grace, and love. I know what the goodness of God looks like because I have desperately clung to it as well.

I cannot control life’s storms, but I can control my response to them. I decided a long time ago that I am done trying to ignore the storms, done trying to hide, and done trying to run away. I will run into the storm knowing that even when the rain is hammering down and the wind is at its worst, Jesus is my guide and my shelter.

Unfortunately, storms in life are more a matter of when than if. I hate those words even as I write them. I wish I could promise life would be perfect for all of us—nothing but sunshine and roses—but that is simply not reality. We all will face difficulties at one point or another. The question is: In which direction will you run?