Thunderstorms

We grew up in Kansas, and if Kansas is famous for anything, it’s tornadoes.  And thunderstorms. They would pop up regularly in spring and summer. Do you know what I’d do when a big ol’ thunderstorm came roaring across the state towards us?  I’d hide! I’d be so scared and nervous that I couldn’t think about anything else. The thunder shook the house, the lightning flashes were so bright, and the wind roared!  It literally made my stomach hurt.  

One particular day in second grade, a storm popped up right before lunch time and I remember crying to my teacher, Mrs. Sherbert.  The skies turned dark, and as I looked out the huge wall of windows in our classroom, I could see the trees swaying in the strong wind. We walked down the long hallway to the lunchroom and by the time we had finished eating, it was all over.  Those storms usually didn’t last long.  

As I got a little older, my feelings about storms turned into a mix of fear (still scared!) and fascination.  I was kind of sad once the storm was over. It was unpredictable and loud and dark and scary...but also awesome!  Now that I’m an adult, I love storms.

If you also feel scared of storms, I have a job for you:  see if you can muster up enough courage to watch the storm from a window.  Even better...try to catch one before it gets too close! Watch the big clouds that form and move your way.  Usually these storm clouds are tall and puffy with white and gray and even some green in them. If you can stand really still, you may notice that clouds do not stay the exact same shape--but rather, grow taller and wider.  It almost looks like a slow-motion explosion!  

I bet if you can sit and watch the clouds as they come, some of your fear might be replaced with some fascination, just like it happened for me.  You might start to realize that these clouds and storms come when the atmosphere (the air all around the earth) is just right.   It’s like a recipe:  a little hot air, a little cool air, the right amount of water droplets…and BOOM!  You have a thunderstorm! Scientists are getting much better at predicting when and where strong storms and tornadoes might occur, but they still don’t always get it right. 

I don’t know if you have ever done this, but sometimes I think I have God all figured out.  Like I know what He can and can’t do, so I don’t even have to pray to Him. Or I think “That’s too hard for God!”  Or even sillier, “That’s too small--God doesn’t care about that!”  Grown-ups sometimes talk about “putting God in a box”...which just means that we think we have Him all figured out.  

Thunderstorms remind me that I don’t have Him all figured out.  God is huge and powerful and unpredictable and awesome and good.  I can trust Him with my life--my biggest secrets and my scariest fears and my best days.  We know that God loves us and that He created us for love. So the next time you hear thunder or see lightning or notice some huge storm clouds off in the distance, check them out!  Watch and see what happens. Maybe a teeny bit of your fear will turn into amazement at our Good and Powerful God!