A Distant Thunder

 I awoke this morning to the distant sound of what appeared to be thunder. I have not watched the weather forecast in several days. When I last did in the passing they were predicting oppressive heat and high pressure overhead well into August. I told myself that sound could't be thunder. 

Later I heard it again. This time it sounded closer. The reverberations rattled the windows. Shortly afterward, I saw flashes of light peering above the mini blinds on the windows. I thought again, it is not supposed to rain. That thought was followed by another that God can do anything He wants to do. He is Almighty. He commands the rains. 

The distant thunder seemed right overhead as the rain started falling. For about an hour it thundered, rained, and the lightening flashed. I slept through most of it chuckling to myself that God can do anything. Even make it rain when it is not supposed to do so. 

The storm came and went. After an hour, I could make out the sound of the distant thunder going away from us. That distant thunder reminded me of a valuable lesson. Storms in life come and go. There is a beginning and an ending to them. It might not be a thunderstorm. The storms you face may be much worse. There is still a beginning to them and an ending to them. 

I don't think any of us can forget the pandemic storm of the corona virus Covid-19. Lockdowns. Masks. Sheltering in Place. Social distancing. Vaccine mandates and passports all became part of a nightmare that seemed it would never end. I got the virus. I suffered for the better part of ten days. Incessant coughing. Insomnia. Headaches. Nothing relieved the cough. I only slept soundly when my body could not stay awaken any longer and I passed out from sheer exhaustion. Nights and days became mixed up. That was a terrible storm. It ended though. 

I realize that it has resurfaced in recent days. I have already known several people who got sick from it. They are recovered or recovering. There is a beginning and an ending. 

That is hard to remember when you are in the middle of the storm. You get disoriented. You become consumed with surviving the storm. So much so that you forget one day the storm will end. One day things will get better. One day the storm clouds will clear and the sun rays of hope will shine forth. It is that hope that we must hang onto in the stormy seasons. 

The Psalmist seemed to understand this in [Psalm 42:5], Why so downcast O my soul, put your hope in God. Downcast people are discouraged, despondent, disheartened, and dispirited. In the stormy seasons, a good pep talk to rally our spirit is to remind ourselves the storm will end. One day things will get better. 

Some reading this might disagree. Things have not gotten better for them for decades. The storms of divorce, terminal disease, chronic illness, or death of a loved one linger endlessly. Even these storms will end one day. It might not be this side of heaven. Some people will suffer right up to the end of their lives. Then the storm will break in the brightest and clearest skies in eternity they have ever experienced. That is reason to keep hoping. To keep hoping. The thunder you hear right now will eventually become the distant thunder you hear moving away from you. God is even in control of the storm. He can command it to stop or move on. God rides upon the storms holding the reigns of the storm like a mounted cowboy on a bucking stallion. One word from Him, "Hush be still," and everything will become calm again. Your storm will end eventually down here or over in Beulah Land. Take comfort and hope in that.