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| Last shot before taking cover |
Reverberations
shaking my walls, wind blowing debris against my windows, water sloshing on my
roof—I woke up this morning to the beginnings of a thunderstorm. What do you think or feel when you hear such
sounds? My first thoughts were
self-centered.
How is this
going to affect my plans for today? We
have a literary event to attend today.
Are we going to get soaked between the parking lot and the long walk to
the auditorium? Do I really want to take
umbrellas for everyone? Do we even have
enough for everyone at one time? Did I
leave something outside that shouldn't be in the rain? Will it rain enough for
me to worry about stuff in the basement?
No, it hasn't rained enough recently to cause the drains to back up. Should I be worried about that eerie yellow
haze flooding the yard?
Then my
thoughts turned to Someone beyond myself.
Thunderstorms are great reminders of the power and majesty of God. Despite our thinking that this world would
fall apart without the efforts of mankind, we are puny, helpless creatures
compared to the Lord Almighty. Just the
simple act of rain, which we often take for granted, comes from the amazing
water cycle designed by God. Yet, God is
still in control of exactly when, where, how, and to what extent that
precipitation will fall. Then there is
man—totally worthless when it comes to producing rain. Fortunately, rain takes my thoughts from me
back to the One from whom all blessings flow.
To be
honest, in my "old age," I do not really care to get rained on. I am not worried about ruining my hair, but even
a light rain gives me just enough of a chill and dampness that I am uncomfortable. Sometimes thunderstorms can be scary and life
threatening. Putting that aside, I sometimes
find joy and delight in hearing the rain, even thunder. I have noticed in the past few years that, in
the early spring when thunder returns after a long silent winter of snow, I get
giddy and draw attention to it.
"Did you hear that? It was
thunder. I've missed hearing
thunder. Isn't it great? It feels like God is calling out saying, 'I'm
here. I have not forgotten
you.'" In a way, as I have aged, I
am a little less appreciative of the feel
of rain, but I am very much more appreciative of the sound of rain.
Your Turn: Do you have children fear thunder and
rain? Instead of telling stories of the
angels bowling or the clouds fighting, try discussing the majesty and strength
of God. The same God that controls and
directs powerful storms is the same God who has had a plan for them since the
beginning of time. Although they
sometimes need to take safety precautions in storms, they can rest assured that
the loving God behind the mighty force of nature wants to have a personal
relationship with them. You can even
explain that, although a thunderstorm may appear chaotic and out of control,
God is a god of order, which can be seen by the water cycle He created to supply
a renewing, fresh source of water for man to use. Now if you have a fear of storms, your kids
probably know it. If they do, start
there. Start with, "I have been
afraid of thunder most of my life, but now I can see the beauty behind thunder
because it reminds me that my God can do anything. I do not need to be afraid of the storm
because I personally know the Creator behind the storm."
So the next
time you wake up and find reverberations shaking your walls, wind blowing
debris against your windows, and water sloshing on your roof—jump out of bed
with joy, and yell, "Come on, kids!
Let's look at what God is doing outside." Head for the window and begin being amazed at
the beauty amid the storm.
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