Storms of Perfection

One of the best stories I have heard came from Andy Andrews.  He is the author of the book "Storms of Perfection", where he compiled a collection of letters from over 50 of the world's most successful people, bringing new insight to the price of success. In their correspondence with the author, these people tell the story of the biggest problem or worst rejection they personally encountered.  They were discouraged, disheartened, and they even thought about quitting.   The  difference is, they didn't!  Their stories are truly amazing and inspirational.

 
Here's Andy Andrews' story:

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        "There are things we remember from our earliest childhood.  For some people it's a smell, a touch; for some people it's a lullaby. For me it's a walk in the woods with my dad. It's something that defines my childhood; something that I remember every now and then, something that has shook my adulthood.

        I walked in the woods with my dad when I was a little boy, about 6 or 7 years old, and I remember following my father through this dried up creek bed. It was in a drought in South Alabama and I remember hearing the "crunch, crunch, crunch" of the sticks and the rocks and the leaves as they broke under our feet.  I see my father reach up and crush some dried leaves in his hand and shake his head.  The river was drying up, dying and burning up. 

        We walked down towards the beaver pond where my family used to go on picnics.  There was a pool of stagnant water there and cracked mud.  The beaver's lodge was on dry land.  And while we walked around the edge of the pond looking at the grass and the wildlife that was literally blowing away, something happened that I'll never forget -- the temperature dropped dramatically in just a period of a few seconds and the wind picked up and thunder and lightning started from across the pond.  Water, rain, in silver sheets like I've never seen before came sweeping across the pond, with the lightning and the thunder and the wind.  I mean I've never seen it before.  I'm just a little kid; it scared me to death...  terrified me.

        I'm screaming and my dad picks me up by the waist and jogs through the woods a little bit. I'm kicking and the lightning's crashing with the thunder.  I was terrified.

        I know you're not supposed to get under a tree in a lightning storm but I guess my dad felt like he had no choice.  He stopped under a bush, put me in his lap, put his arms around me and he put his head down next to mine.  I was crying and whimpering and screaming.  My father said over and over to me, ''Calm down. I'm here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're gonna be fine.  Everything's all right. Calm down, calm down. This won 't be long. This is just for a little bit. I've got you. You'll gonna be alright. I would never let anything happen to you. Calm down, calm down. It won't be long now. It'll be over soon."

        And soon it was. The wind stopped and the rain stopped and the thunder and the lightning died down. And my father lifted me up and he dried the tears in my eyes and told me to take deep breaths. 

        Then he said, "Follow me."

        We walked down back to the beaver pond, this time beside the creak that had started to flow. As we neared the pond my dad said, "Look, look!"  And some dear ran to the edge of the stream and jumped over.  One of them stopped and drank and ran after the others. 

        When we got to the beaver pond the water had started to swirl around in a circle filling the pond back up as the stream flowed into that vast emptiness. My dad looked at me and said, "You were pretty scared back there, weren't you?"

        I said, "Yes sir, I was."

        He said, "Me too."   

        My big, strong dad was scared too?

        And he said, "How do you think the dear felt, all alone out in the open like that?  They were scared, weren't they?"

        And I said, "Yes sir, they were."

        He said, "How about the beavers with their babies there in their home?  How did they feel?"

        I said, "They were scared."

        He said, "And the rabbits and the squirrels and the birds and the little animals... With that lightning and the thunder, they were scared too, don't you think?"

        And I said, "Yes sir, they were."

        He said, "But look around now.  Look at what's happening now.  The dears have water to drink that weren't there before. The beaver's pond is gonna fill up and they can spend the winter in their home just like they planned. The rabbits and the squirrels are eating the clean grass that the rain washed and the birds are eating worms that have come out on wet ground."

        And I was amazed!

        What looked like the worst thing that could have ever happened to any of us turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened to all of us.

        It was a "Storm of Perfection"

        And I've always remembered those words all my life. 

        Storm of Perfection - Something that looks like the worst but turns out to be the best.  Something that has allowed in my life to mold me, to shape me, to fire me, to get me ready for the success in my future.

        It's hard to see things that way. People forget that even in the Bible God did not save Daniel from the lion's den. That's what we hear.  We hear the story that God saved Daniel from the lion's den. 

        But He never did it.

        He saved Daniel IN the lion's den.  He let him go through it because he knew that it would be good for Daniel.

        What's happening in your life now that looks like the worst?

        I also remember my dad  telling me,  "son, God is under no obligation to tell you what He is doing in your life."

        You know that statement never made me feel really good.

        But at least it has given me some calm about what is happening in my life.

        Storm of Perfection. 

        I'll never forget it."

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