Rest

The storm clouds have passed. The damage is being assessed. There are still some lingering effects. As crazy as it sounds, the rain battering on the window lulled me into a deep sleep. I slept through the storm. Others slept through the storm because their power was out, and there was nothing to do, but sleep. What if you were able to sleep through the storms in your life? What if you had enough faith to say, "I've done all I could do, it's up to you God." What if you trusted enough to rest in peace, to rest in God and know that it's out of your control. I've learned that I'm not in control. There are circumstances that are simply above my pay grade, that is when I've learned to let go and let God. Have faith and rest on his promises. This too shall pass. 

Loyalty

"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses." -Ann Landers

There is a reason that wedding vows include "in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." It speaks to the human condition. We are naturally selfish. We don't tend to put someone else's needs, wants, and desires before our own.  When things get rough, we innately want to leave. Loyalty is about ignoring our instincts. It is about being selfless. Loyalty is about enduring the vicissitudes of life. It's about mutual respect and love.   

Tandem

I've always wanted to ride a tandem bike. It's basically a bike for two people. Growing up, our version of a tandem bike was riding on the handlebars. It required a great deal of balance and trust. First time skydivers jump in tandem with a skilled instructor. They get to experience all the thrills of skydiving without the responsibility of opening the parachute. Relationships and friendships require you to live in tandem. They require balance and trust. You must work together to achieve a common goal. Life is better when it's lived in tandem.