The Storm
The rain struck with a sudden force,
Pelting the house as with a hammer.
The lightning blinded and thunder deafened,
So close was the strike.
We were stunned,
Afraid.
The power disquieted our hearts,
My wife’s and mine.
It was not contained
It was not controlled,
It did not respect any boundary
Or structure.
It’s fury felt undimmed by our walls.
I see the Lord, high and lifted up,
Cloaked in clouds, with flashes of lightning
The sound of thunder growing ever louder.
No wonder Israel panicked at the sight!
“Do not have God speak to us
Or we will die!”1
Such is the presence of the Lord, uncontained.
But in the silence, when fear is gone
And depression near,
Where is the Lord?
At least the storm makes me feel.
When I don’t feel at all,
That is when I doubt the Lord.
When I languish and feel numb,
When every effort is a challenge,
Particularly belief.
Sometimes I long for the storm then,
To make me feel that I am alive.
Exodus 20:19