Storm clouds

It's pouring with rain here in Africa and as I stared out the window at the increasingly darkening clouds I thought how lately a few friends of mine have been going through hard times.

Today's writing is not going to really offer Islamic advice as a few of my friends suffering are not actually Muslim but of course as always, I always direct anyone first and foremost to our creator, the lord of the worlds.

Some really hard times.

One of them although I have never met her in person has one of the most beautiful souls I have ever had the fortune to meet. She was always there for me when I was at my lowest with some uplifting words, some presents and her prayers. Her friendship has meant more to me than you can ever know. You could not ask to meet a kinder and more special woman, although she is not technically Muslim, in many ways she is more Muslim than many other Muslims I know if that makes sense. Please pray for her as she prepares to have her baby next month. She has had the most awful time in the last few months.

Two years ago when I was crippled by my circumstances, people would say stuff to me like 'Just be grateful you are not starving in Africa or whatever' I wanted to hug those people. In the face.With a chair. Instead I just cried and held on even tighter to the few friends I did have.

You see at that time I couldn't see past my circumstances, the pain was slowly suffocating me and that was all I knew. I hoped against hope for a better future but it seemed that all that was coming my way was trials and tribulations. I begged Allah for it to just stop because I couldn't take it anymore.

My friend told me "You know whenever I am having an awful time or I met someone who is going through utter hell I just tell them, just be grateful you haven't had Bonnie's life........

Errrrr thanks??

Today as the storm raged on outside, I was more than annoyed because I really needed to go out but couldn't take pudding out in the rain of course. But an hour later my daughter came running in to tell me "Mummy, look out the window" and as I did I saw not one but two rainbows! If the storm had never come I never would have been able to experience my once in a lifetime experience of seeing two rainbows. And I was grateful for it even though an hour ago I was cursing the weather, we never know just what a storm will bring.

But storms take away the old and bring in the new. The rain washes away the debris and rubbish and brings with it a new start. When the storm rages around us we want to hide and sometimes we do but when all is over and the air is clean and the ground washed clear. Sometimes though storms leave devastation in their wake but in that instance sometimes the only way to fix something is to tear it down and start again.

If you know me in person you will know just what storms I myself went through and how for everything bad thing that happened, Allah brought me so much more than I could have ever even asked for.

So for all my dearest friends suffering through your own storm may our creator bring you better what you had before and bless you with your own double rainbows.