Softening the Sound of Thunder and Getting Us Through the Storm

It was about 5:00 this morning when I was aroused from my sleep by the deep rumbles and eery flashes of a thunderstorm.  I rolled over trying to block out the sights and sounds filling my bedroom, when a sweet, soft-spoken voice caught my attention.  It was Eliana, "Mommy, I can't sleep!"  Without saying a word, I motioned for her to hop into bed beside me.  Another chorus of thunder echoed through my bedroom, followed by violent flashes of lightening.  I closed my eyes, trying to block it all out.

A few seconds later, I felt a little hand upon my arm.  I looked up to see Amaris standing beside my bed.  Once again, without saying a word, I motioned for Amaris to jump into my bed too.  With every flash of lightening, I could feel two little bodies sliding up against me more closely, for comfort...for protection.  With every rumble of thunder, I could feel two little hands reaching out to make sure that I was close by. 

Eventually, the storm seemed as though it was finally beginning to pass.  Amaris sat up and confidently said, "Mommy, do you know why I come to your bed when it storms so much?  Because the thunder doesn't seem as loud when you are with me and the lightening doesn't seem as scary.  Isn't that good Mommy?"   ...I remember feeling that way as a child.

I know that probably many of you are experiencing a storm right now in your own personal lives.  You may have even tried to tightly shut your eyes thinking if you block out the sights and sounds of the storm surrounding you, it will quickly pass. Or quite possibly, you are in a season of life where the sky is blue and cloudless, not a single rain cloud is in sight.  But you and I both know that eventually, the blue of the sky will turn to a dark shade of gray and dark clouds will begin to appear, signaling an impending storm.

The question is, how will you get through the storm when it arrives?  Will you bury your face in the covers hoping that it will not last long?  Or, when God motions for you to come to Him so that he can comfort you, will you press into Him, trusting that He will get you through the storm unharmed.  You do have a choice!

Typically, I find myself covering my eyes, holding my breath, and planning where I will seek safety just in case the storms in my life take a turn for the worse.  But this morning, the Lord reminded me that all I have to do is reach out my hand and I would feel Him there with me...He is always there, you know?.  I just choose to ignore His presence at times.  Isn't that crazy?  I know that if I just pressed into the Lord, He would get me through the storm.    

What about you?  When the impending storm arrives in your life, will you choose to try and get through it on your own, or will you trust the Lord to bring you safely to the other side?

Maybe this is a difficult question for you to answer because you feel so battered and bruised from previous storms in your life...or maybe you just don't know how to trust Him.  Simply do as my girls did this morning.   
      
     Reach out your hand and feel Him there with you,
               Press your face deeply into his chest, 
                         then, trust Him to get you through the storm.

...God may not immediately remove the storm from your life and you still may see and hear all of the sounds which the storm brings with it, but the rumbling of the thunder won't seem quite as loud and the violent flashes of lightening won't seem quite as scary....If you trust in HIM!