When I saw the dark, menacing clouds in the distance, my heart filled with dread. That is exactly how I felt as a child when I realized a storm was heading our way.
Was it the dangers of lightning or high winds of a storm that scared me? Nope. It was the thunder. I couldn’t stand the sudden, large claps of thunder. During a storm, I would burrow my fingers into my ears as deep as I could. After a while, that would hurt so much that I had to quit. If a storm came up at night, I would lay on my stomach and wrap the pillow around the back of my head. Ever so often, I would have to rise up and breath so I wouldn’t suffocate. During those times, I prayed for God to make the storms go away.
Another reason for my fear came from watching TV as a child. I remember seeing scary TV shows where lighting and storms heralded in bad things: ghosts, villains, destruction and even death. Are you wondering if I eventually outgrew those fears. I did and I didn’t. I replaced my old fears of storms with new ones: lightning and tornadoes. When a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch was issued, I went into survival mode. I stayed inside somewhere that hopefully had a basement.
Do I still have my fears? Not really. At this point, I have a healthy respect for storms. In fact, I rather enjoy a storm as long as it’s not severe. Why? I think it comes from me getting closer to Jesus.
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
Let me tell you, nobody or nothing can give you peace like Jesus can. Now, I can look back over my life and see all the times I was so afraid and I didn’t need to be that way. Jesus was always waiting on me to reach out to Him.
Recently, we were in Florida. The evening we arrived, there was a small storm moving down the coast. This time I didn’t cram my fingers in my ears or try to suffocate myself. Instead, I went out to edge of the walkway so I could better see the storm. It was breathtaking. I even thanked the Lord for his handiwork in creating it. Being the photo bug that I am, I took a picture of it. It is used for this story. Please, enjoy the storm’s unique beauty of God’s artistry.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.