Stormy Weather

When I was a little girl my best friend and I would huddle by the window and scream with gusto and sheer delight when lightening would light up the sky. Then we'd tremble as the thunder rattled the windows, the house foundations and our very hearts soon after. Years later (not telling) I still get a thrill from the awesome display of God's power in these storms.

In Skopje, as you can see, we get quite the display at times.

It's always fascinated me how I can thrill at the storms around me. Yes, there is proper respect, yet they still get my blood pumping with excitement and I want to stand on the balcony with the wind whipping around me. What a thrill!! There's only been one or two storms here in Skopje that have had me shutting up the windows, dropping the storm shutters and hiding inside. The storm was right on top of me and its' power quite frightening. (Before I'd shut the windows I actually saw a bolt go between my building and the one next door!!) In general, though, I enjoy storms immensely (perhaps in part because it reminds me of the amazing storms in my hometown Sacramento).

Considering this then, I sometimes wonder why when facing the storms of life at times my first instinct is to want to run for cover, hiding from even Him? I do eventually rest in His sheltering embrace and then thrill in excitement at what God is doing in me through it. Yet why isn't that my first reaction? How about you? How do you respond when storms blow in? Do you run out into it unprotected? Do you run away and hide? Or do you thrill while in the protecting embrace of the Father? Just some thoughts I'm pondering between storms.