Tradewinds

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  After living here for 10 months,  I've come to experience the trade winds as a natural occurrence of island living.  The trade winds here in Hawaii blow from the northeast to the southwest over  the Pacific and through the Hawaiian islands.  If it weren't for these winds,  the islands would be  hot,  muggy and very uncomfortable.  These winds are responsible for the pleasant island weather and beautiful vegetation.  They are also what brought the early European settlers.    I met these winds head on this past Saturday during my long distance run which made for a very challenging run. Sure, I've ran in the wind before.   Where I come from, they are called the Santa Anas, only those are very hot and dry.   They both can be very strong and unpredictable.  So how do I run in this wind anyway?  Well, there are two approaches I can take.    I can start pumping my arms harder and lengthening my stride in order to run the same pace as I was running before with no wind just to keep up my time.  However, this way I'm expending more energy and getting even more exhausted.  Or I can keep the same pace and form, holding back just a little and let the cool winds pass over me,  refresh my tired body and wait for the wind to die down only to resume my previous pace and all the while never letting it stop me.   I usually choose the latter, especially if I'm not running for time.  
Then there are times when I'm running at a comfortable pace, the wind is behind me and I feel like I'm on top of the world, then WHOOF, a sudden gust of wind  pushes me back.  These are frustrating!   
But I must not let it stop me. Then I remember, to just keep the same pace, enjoy the cool down for what it is, then get back to my run.   
     As I write this, its been 4 months and 4 days since I've had a drink.  Not a big deal.  I've gone 9 months before, 3 times even!  Only this time I'm in recovery.  I still have a new life growing inside of me  slowly become a new person.  I'm just taking it one day at a time.   Last Friday night, I came home from work and I so wanted a glass of wine.  Not because I had a stressful day at work or the kids were getting to me but because that is just what I used to do.  I wasn't strongly tempted and I know who I can call if I do get to that point.   This was just  a wave, a feeling, a strong gust of wind to push me back.    So what did I do? I waited, prayed to God and let the wind pass over me, and the feeling was gone and I was ok.  So maybe all those times I was drinking, was like me pumping my arms harder, fighting against it, just wasted energy. 
   Situations happen in life that we can't control, like a wind pushing us back.  We can choose to run against it or run with it.   We can choose to use our own strength, own solutions,  or let go and let God take care of the winds and let it pass over us.   And just like the trade winds contribute to the climate of the islands, so do  these difficult situations make us the people God wants us to truly  be.  We can choose to let the situation toss us around, knock us down and stop completely or we can choose to pray to God, wait it out and just keep running.  


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