The Thunder Rolls

Years ago I had a dog who wanted no part of the shiny new doggie door we brought into our home. We thought he was a little crazy because who, man or beast, would not jump at the opportunity to make life a little easier with such a glorious invention!

My husband and I were giddy at the prospect of not having to jump up at all hours of the day and night when our furry family members decided it was time to visit the great outdoors. Plus, we knew that once the dogs got a taste of controlling their own comings and goings, they would love the new contraption as much as we did. There was only one problem...neither beast wanted any part of the state-of–the-art convenience.

We easily taught our first dog how to nose his way back-and-forth through the flap; but our other one, Watson, either couldn’t (or wouldn’t) “get it”. Even after days of teaching and remediation, it looked hopeless; then it happened . . . a thunderstorm!

The door of opportunity opened big, wide, and with gusto! Watson was terrified of storms so we decided that if we threw him outside when the skies rumbled and grumbled, he’d be more than happy to make his way through the flap of safety into the house. But no, he sat out on the patio in the rain while we sat in the house amid a whirlwind of guilt. We almost gave in and opened the door, but then our drenched little terrier scurried through the flap into the comfort and safety of the house.

Watson learned a hard and scary lesson that day, but it was an important one that ultimately served him well. From that day on, our little fur ball experienced the freedom provided by the doggie door. He could come and go into the backyard at his leisure and the safety of the house was always within his reach . . . all he had to do was push through the flap offered by the door. But, all that freedom and security came as the result of a scary old thunderstorm.

The Christian life works much like Watson’s frightening experience. Sometimes God sends (or allows) thunderstorms in our lives so that we can learn lessons and grow. Just because we are His children doesn’t mean we will experience sun-shiny days all the time. It just means we invite Him to help us navigate through the waters of life whether they are like glassy seas or stirred up by the tempests of earthly living. It is not fun when tough times come; but, like Watson with the doggie door, we can weather any storm if we will just press forward toward the comfort and safety God has waiting for us.

Practical Christianity doesn’t give up when the thunder rolls. Instead of sitting around getting wet and soggy, we need to get out of the storm and enter God’s presence. When I’m going through a tough time, I like to find someone in the Bible who has gone through a similar situation. Years ago when we were having a stormy season with one of our sons, I found inspiration from Moses when he had been given the role of leading God’s children; there were many similarities between that great man of God and me, an average Christian mother.

I’ve also found that praying Scripture is like popping open a spiritual umbrella that offers protection from life’s storms. I find a passage (usually from Psalms) that matches my situation; I personalize it and send it straight up to my Father in heaven.

There are so many spiritual umbrellas available it’s impossible to list them all; but godly counsel, reading the Bible, and the supportive prayers of others are all great places to start. We will encounter storms, but as believers we have access to God, the great Weatherman, who always gets the forecast right!

Storms will come and go, and they may not always act or be resolved like we expect; but we can be assured that God has it all under control when the thunder rolls.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. the voice of the lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forest bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” (Psalm 29:3, 7-9 NIV)

(c)2010 Shona Neff