Nature has been producing thunderstorms recently in our little neck of the woods. On several mornings in the past week I drove to work in the middle of storms and I noticed lightning flashes.
On the highways, entrenched in the glare of the city, these flashes are dulled. They are intriguing but not necessarily illuminating.
It's on the smaller roads, before I get to the main thoroughfares that these startling bursts of energy seem to briefly reveal a different world - a sudden unexpected viewpoint. Sometimes the imagery lingers even after my eyes have readjusted but most of the time I give those visions of the world a passing thought and nothing more.
Occasionally something similar happens with people. In unguarded moments I see someone from a different vantage point. Often this is wondrous and I revel in the recognition of heretofore unnoticed qualities and try to appreciate them.
There are occasions however when such flashes appear to reveal people's true motives or character. On those occasions I often turn away, close my eyes, and hope to forget.
I wish I was always able to succeed at that...sometimes I fail.
I mention this only because it's on my mind, and this is where stuff that's on my mind spills out.
We have some friends with whom we've shared some very hard times. During Amy's health struggles she has reached out to these folks only to be ignored. We found it curious but remained persistent. Last week we finally made contact.
During the course of a fairly superficial conversation it slipped out that these friends were angry about a business deal. The deal didn't really involve us, except that we knew the other party. Yet, I suddenly realized it was because of that business relationship that these friends chose to ignore Amy, when Amy needed them most.
When the conversation was over, I held my tongue, but soon I realized Amy had made the connection too.
It was like a lightning flash. We both saw it.
We can't help but see these friends in a new light, and it's not flattering.
It will take a while, but we will work to forgive them...and eventually we will.
Thank God we've seen that light too.
