Thunder Storms

I mentioned in the previous entry that I enjoy thunder storms. So I thought I would explain why :)

Gentle storms are wonderful. Rain softly drums against the window with each tender gust of wind. The distant flashes of lightning illuminate the sky in some far off place, as a gentle reminder that all is not dark. I love the long, rumbling kind of thunder. It sometimes gently rattles the picture frames on my walls in a big, deep sound. That soft kind of thunder is not scary, but somehow comforting.

The more violent storms are a bit scary. The rain and the hail assault the window in a constant barrage of bullets, testing the strength of the thin glass. The lightning is NOT distant, but instead striking a few inches away from my window and jump-starting my heart into fright. The deafening explosion of thunder seems to fall from the sky and crash down on top of me ... making me want to hide. I feel so little!

But every violent storm eventually passes. The calm aftermath fills the air like a healing bandage, and all is well once again.

There is nothing quite like the calm after the storm. The calm before the storm merely generates anxiety. The wind picks up, the sky darkens, and insecurity fills the air. The animals find shelter and brace themselves to withstand something terrifying. But the calm after the storm is truly peaceful. All of the damage has been done and is now left to heal in tranquility. The animals leave their shelters in relief. Fear is replaced with gratitude.

I enjoy experiencing the calm after the storm in my life. That kind of peace is well worth enduring any terrifying storm. I think that is what I am experiencing now, and I am grateful today -- grateful for the peace, and for the storm I had to endure to experience that peace.