I awakened to thunder this morning and since it's Friday and I did not have the usual 'stuff' to do before I left for work, I laid in bed for just a few more minutes and remembered some of the dozens of mornings I've awakened to the roar of thunder coming from outside my tent. I recalled the many times I've gotten caught outside in a wilderness environment with an impending thunderstorm... lightning, hail, wind, flooded stream crossings. This particular photo was taken in Ontario on an early autumn fishing trip...where blue skies changed to angry clouds in a matter of ten minutes. No, we did not get back to camp before it hit.
Yesterday my classes were watching a Discovery video about the evolution of early man and it depicted a group of early hominids dancing in the rain. The narrative said that gorillas are the only modern primate to do such. I beg to differ. No I hate being cold and wet, but then I love the opportunity to dry around the warmth of a fire or dive into the shelter of a small tent that is being assaulted by wind and hail. There is an awesome power observed and absorbed from watching a developing thunderstorm from the shelter of a seventy foot pine or from the exposure of a high altitude plateau.
Whatever the situation, I've found that good planning and good rain gear go hand in hand. I remember in earlier years some times when neither of those factors came into play. I also recall the resolve to 'never place myself in those circumstances again'. Live and learn.
Well there is great analogy in all of this. Life also has its thunderstorms ... and in retrospect, they are usually welcome. Although disruptive, they quench the drought and provide water for future use. Often destructive, they offer the glimpse of power behind the storm ... that same power that provides new life after the storm has passed. And yes, looking outside now - the storm has passed ... there is still the rolling of distant thunder as if GOD is looking over his shoulder to say, "Well, what did you think about that one?!!"
The robins are singing as they are already harvesting flooded earthworms.
Thank you Father.
I remember when I used to be afraid of storms until you took me out on the front porch on Ave F and explained to me that god controlled the thunder and the rain and that he would protect us. I trusted you completely and now marvel when I hear that loud roar from the heavens. I love that we've experienced some of the same hail storms while huddled in our tent protected.
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