Weather That Made Me

“Some days we are the wildfire.

Other days we are the flood.

Nothing wild grows from perfect weather.”

Credit to: @reviveyourroar

There are seasons of my life that feel like they were written directly into that quote. Not metaphorically. Literally. I have lived the wildfire. I have lived the flood. And I have lived the slow, stubborn, surprising growth that follows both.

In my earlier years, I carried a fear that shaped almost everything about me. Coming to terms with being gay wasn’t a gentle awakening—it was a storm system. A wildfire that burned through the version of myself I had been taught to present. A flood of worry about who would stay, who would leave, and what it would cost me to be honest.

I remember the fear of being “outed” in the education world. Back then, it wasn’t just personal—it felt professional, existential. What would it mean for my career? My reputation? My safety? I lived with the constant tension of wanting to lead boldly while hiding quietly. That kind of emotional weather leaves marks.

And then there was family. The rejection—temporary, but deeply felt—was its own kind of flood. It washed out the foundation I thought I could stand on. It forced me to rebuild from pieces I wasn’t sure I still had.

Leaving the church I grew up in was another wildfire moment. Not because I stopped believing in God, but because I couldn’t stay in a place that didn’t see me the way God does. That kind of departure is a burn-and-walk-away season. Painful. Necessary. Clarifying.

But here’s the part of the story that matters most: the growth and the magic.

I found strength through a loving God who didn’t change posture toward me when others did. I found friends who became chosen family—people who didn’t just accept me, but celebrated me. And I found school communities where I led with authenticity and was met with support instead of suspicion. Those circles didn’t just hold me; they helped me rise. And I found a church community where “God is still lovingly speaking.” And we are God’s miracles and not God’s mistakes!

Growth came from the very storms I once feared. Magic came from the people who stepped into the gaps. And I’ve learned that the weather that once felt like it would undo me is the same weather that shaped me into someone stronger, kinder, and more grounded than I ever expected.

Wildfire. Flood. Growth. Magic.

They’re not phases. They’re a cycle.

And they’re all part of becoming.

Reflection Questions

As you think about your own journey, consider:

• When have you been the wildfire—clearing out something that no longer served you?

• When have you been the flood—overwhelmed, overflowing, yet learning what truly holds?

• Where in your life is growth quietly happening, even if you don’t see it yet?

• And where has magic shown up—unexpected, unplanned, but unmistakably real?

Most importantly:

What parts of your story only exist because the weather wasn’t perfect?