Gratitude for the whirlwind

Painting of the Chinese Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279)

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Here is one of Anthony de Mello's wonderful stories:

"Calamities can bring growth and Enlightenment," said the Master.

And he explained it thus: "Each day a bird would shelter in the withered branches of a tree that stood in the middle of a vast deserted plain. One day a whirlwind uprooted the tree, forcing the poor bird to fly a hundred miles in search of shelter -- till it finally came to a forest of fruit-laden trees."

And he concluded: "If the withered tree had survived, nothing would have induced the bird to give up its security and fly."

This speaks to me today. (I will need to develop why some other time.)