“The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind, the lightnings illumined the world; the earth trembled and shook.” Psalm 77:18

I have a friend who loves a good thunder and lightning storm. What can be frightening to many, in that same thing, she finds comfort. She’s told me this several times. To her, the power and majesty in a strong storm reminds her of the power and majesty of God, and of His utter control over everything. She feels close to God as she watches the lighting and hears the thunder it brings.

I was eating dinner with this friend last night as a storm passed through. The blinds over the restaurant windows were open and as the lightning flashed, her attention was riveted to the window, and the look on her face was of utter delight. She said, “Oh look! Did you see the lightning?” She was mesmerized. Another lady sitting with us glanced over her shoulder for the briefest of moments, and then looked at my friend, shuttered and said, “I could have done without you telling me about that lightning.” Some people fear storms.

For my friend, it reminds her that God is so powerful, so in control of everything. Even in the very midst of a terrible storm, this brings her peace and joy even. For many, like the other lady at our table, we want to hide from the storms. We want them to pass us by as we cower and fret. We forget about the power of our God to save us, to dazzle us in the midst of a storm.

God really does tend to do His best work in the storms of life. Some of the best work He’s ever done in me and through me has been as a result of the terrible storms I have weathered in my life. When Matthew and I lost our baby, Justin, more than sixteen years ago, I was unsure if I could weather that storm, but I did. And through it, I learned what truly matters in this life. I also learned that my God would never forsake me.

None of us welcomes the storms that come to us. It’s not as if we are jumping up and down waving our arms saying, “Pick me! Pick me! I want a storm! Send me a storm!” But rather than turning from it and cowering away when it does come, we can face the storm and watch the God of the Universe work His will and His way in our lives, knowing that the result will be for our benefit.

I can’t help but think of my friend who loves thunder storms when I hear this song from The Afters. Their video interpretation is different from the one in my head. I listen to the song and think of how beautiful the Lord lights up the sky during a lightning show! Listen to this song during the next big thunderstorm that passes through. You just might come to love storms as much as my friend does!