So here’s an obscure movie reference. In The Good Dinosaur, there’s a pterodactyl-esque character called Thunderclap. He’s a predatory bad ass in the same vein as the hyenas in The Lion King.

[Spoiler alert]

In the middle of the movie, there’s a severe storm that wreaks havoc.

After the storm has passed, Thunderclap rejoices because a lot of exhausted [read: delicious] animals start washing up. He calls them ‘gifts from the storm’. He also says, mantra-like, ‘The storm provides‘.

Where am I going with this?

Well, The Spark and I recently had a big storm in our relationship. Like, Cyclone Tracy big.

And now? I can see that there are gifts from the storm.

The thing about reaching crisis point is that it strips everything back to basics.

That’s what happened to us. This storm had been building for months – years even – and when it hit, it smashed everything weak in our relationship. We have since had to rebuild something better, stronger, and smarter on the foundations that survived.

The storm itself was terrible but the gifts keep giving. Crisis is humbling. It strips away arrogance and reveals the deep truths that are hiding behind petty grudges, everyday irritations and hurts.

Have you ever weathered a storm that changed things for the better? Do disasters harbour blessings?