Sat outside early afternoon in the swing during a sunshower. The big fat raindrops polka dotted the sidewalk and the red porch tiles. The rain was pouring down and the sky was blue and sunny and full of fluffy white clouds. Cooled things off briefly but afterwards it was hot and steamy on the porch. Oldest brother came by for a short porch visit. Asked me why my cheeks were red and I told him I had filled the bird feeders and cleaned the bird baths and I was roasting. We sat on the porch and shared the box fan as we talked.

I’ve been looking up quotes about thunderstorms this afternoon. I was reading a quote from P.G. Wodehouse when a lightning bolt struck outside my window and the thunder boomed. I hadn’t turned on the lamps yet and the lightning lit up my room. Scared me and Penelope. Wodehouse’s quote was perfect for that moment. He wrote — “It was one of those heavy, sultry afternoons when nature seems to be saying to itself, ‘Now, shall I, or shall I not, scare the pants off these people with a hell of a thunderstorm?’” Scared me, but my shorts didn’t come off. I watched the bamboo dip and sway, dancing as the thunder boomed and a heavy rain fell from the dark purple sky. Shortly, peace was restored as the sky cleared and the sun showed her warm yellow face in the white clouded blue sky.

Thunderstorms water the earth and clean the air. The sunshine nourishes the earth and brings us joy. As we travel through life we have to learn to weather life’s storms. We can’t grow in our faith till we learn to look for God’s rainbows when trials and tribulations blow our way. Morris West writes, “If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.” Challenges are inevitable and storms rage around us when we least expect them, flooding our lives with negative experiences, but these trials make us appreciate the days that are beautiful and remind us of God’s promises.

Crisis Jami writes “thunderstorms are as much our friends as the sunshine.” Nature is one thing man can’t control. Nature is constantly disrupting our plans but those disruptions teach us to appreciate both the negative and positive aspects of a glorious day. We all realize we’ll have troubling times in our lives, times we’ll look to God for rays of sunshine to give us hope.

“Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength,” Corrie Ten Boom. We can’t prepare for troubles that might come our way. We have to live each day to its fullest and focus on the present moments. Storms blow into our lives, some fleeting, some harsh and hard to weather. But God has promised to shelter us in the storms and hold our hands as the thunder rages and the lightning strikes. “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves there of are still.” We can gives our cares and worries to God. 1 Peter 5:7 states, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

In the Bible thunder and lightning are viewed as demonstrations of God’s power and presence. We can hear God’s voice in the thunderstorm and lightning of nature. But we are reassured of God’s promise to be present, to provide courage and strength as we endure the storms. Isaiah 41:10 states, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

When we have Jesus in our hearts we are never alone when the storms rage. Matthew 2:20 states, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” When the storms threaten, God doesn’t promise to prevent hardships but he does promise to ride out the storms with us, offering companionship and comfort. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”

I love these words from William Gurnall. “Let this encourage those of you who belong to Christ: the storm may be tempestuous, but it is only temporary. The clouds that are temporarily rolling over your head will pass, and then you will have fair weather, an eternal sunshine of glory.”

Thank God for all the sunshine in your life and reach for his hand when the heavens darken with storms.

“The storm that was sent to break you is going to be the storm that God uses to make you.” — Shannon Steyer