What I learned from a thunderstorm...

I’ve lived in NC all of my life, and one thing I know for sure is that summertime means heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. Personally, I enjoy curling up with a good book and listening to the storm from the comfort of my cozy couch. However, my kids have a different opinion – especially when the storm strikes in the middle of the night.

Last week, we had a particularly wicked storm that started around 2:30am. I think the cry of “Moooommmmmyyyyyy!!!” woke me up before the thunder did! And, with that, my little one crawled into the bed with us to wait out the storm (which lasted until 4:30am!). The amazing thing to me is that this little child, who was SO scared just minutes before, curled up between her mommy and daddy and immediately went right back to sleep while the thunder raged and the lightning flashed. She felt safe and protected in the shelter of her parents love. She knew that we wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She put her trust in us and rested in the knowledge that everything would be ok as long as we were there.

And, I wondered… Is this what it means to have “faith like a child?” Is this how our Heavenly Father wants us to respond to Him? When I’m afraid or have a problem that I can’t solve, do I draw close to my Father and simply rest in Him? Many times I don’t. Instead, I draw close to Him, tell Him all about my problem, and then take it with me and try to solve it myself – instead of trusting Him to handle it. Wouldn’t it be better to rest in Him? Wouldn’t there be less stress and more joy in my life if I would just trust that my Father has things under control – even when life is raging around me?

Psalm 91 says that “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge… You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day… If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”

So, thunderstorms remind me of this verse. As my children take refuge in the arms of their parents, I’m reminded that I can take refuge in the arms of my Heavenly Father. And, only there can I find the peace that I need to weather the storms that life throws at me.