An "unexpected" rain storm, complete with thunder and lightning, arrived this morning. Despite all the technology used to track weather an "unpredicted" storm no doubt work many sleeping families. As I enjoyed the mysterious event, it occurred to me how life presents such "unexpected" events as well. I may be moving through life with grace and ease and seemingly out of no where comes a fierce bolt of "weather."
  Despite my preparation for life, (if there is such a thing!) such happenings all too often shake me at my roots and bring me directly into the present moment. For me, it is a reminder of the very insignificant control I have in life. I can do my best to "follow the rules" of being a compassionate human being to those around me, and yet, other humans also have a chose as to how to exist in this world. The things I think, say and do may be well intended, and yet someone may interpret them in a completely different way then my intentions. 
  It is a slippery slope we walk in this human experience, and yet, we continue to re-experience life here on Earth. Perhaps it's the "meteorology" of life that keeps us on our toes and on the "watch" for those bolts of lightning that come so unexpectedly. Whatever the case be, life does offer us the opportunity to pay attention and move through the "weather" of life so that we may be of service. I have found that such unexpected events can teach me something I may have taken for granted that needs to be shape-shifted into a new way of moving through life. 
   As the rumble of thunder resounds outside I am grateful for the opportunity to really pay attention to my thoughts, words and deeds. For without being present, I can easily fall back to sleep and ignore the gift of change that such events bring. Instead, I can move into the place of judgment of myself and/or others as a way of making sense of those "bolts of lightning!" Just as the weather cannot always be predicted, neither can the circumstances of life that happens when I least expect it.