Feel the Power


I awoke last night, for some unknown reason. I have to tell you that I have no trouble falling asleep when I first go to bed. I am usually out within a minute of my head hitting the pillow. However when I wake in the middle of the night it is a different story. I usually flip and flop for hours trying to get back to sleep. Because this keeps my wife awake, I opted to go to the couch and try to get some sleep. That way, even if I couldn’t sleep, maybe she could.

I quickly discovered what woke me. It was a storm approaching. My wife was already awake but I decided to stay on the couch for a while to let her get back to sleep. As I began trying to relax, I saw a flash of lightening and then another. I knew this was going to make it hard to fall asleep but I closed my eyes and tried anyway. Very shortly there was another flash and I was amazed to see it even though my eyes were shut. That lightning was still miles away and the flash had to travel that distance. It also traveled through rain and trees, then through the window blinds, and then through my eyelids. Talk about awesome power.

At this point I felt I only had one option: pull the blanket over my head. This was something that I used to do as a child but for a different reason. When I was young, lightening storms frightened me so whenever we had one, I would get totally under my blanket for protection. I know this doesn’t work but it worked for me. I felt safe anyway. And it worked last night too. After pulling the blanket up over my head, the light was blocked so the storm no longer bothered me. Now I could get some sleep. Or so I thought.

A few minutes passed and the storm got closer and as it did, I began to hear the thunder that went along with the lightning. The thunder began getting louder and louder and it was keeping me from sleeping. I can beat this storm I thought so I rolled over and sandwiched my head between two pillows. Ahhhh silence at last. Well not total silence but it was muffled enough that I began drifting off to sleep. Finally I would get the sleep I so desperately needed.

Well the storm didn’t let up and in fact it got even closer. Before long it was right on top of us and along with the lightning and thunder came the aftershock. So even though I had the light and noise blocked out, the house shook after every lightning bolt. I finally gave up and just lay there and watched the storm. I knew I would be exhausted but there was no use fighting it anymore. The storm won. So I lay there waiting on the next bolt of lightning to light up the sky. I waited, and waited and waited but it had ended. And then the rain started. It began raining like there was no tomorrow. And the sound of the rain put me to sleep. This morning, when I woke up, the storm was almost gone and the rain had finished falling.

As I lay there last night, I thought about the awesome power that is in a storm like this. So much power that even inside my house, under a blanket and pillows, I was able to feel it. It’s a power that you just can’t hide from. Even if a person were blind and deaf, they would still feel it. There is no use fighting something that powerful, you just have to learn to accept it. I am no longer afraid of storms like this but I do respect and acknowledge their power.

This morning, I heard on the news that some people were not so fortunate in this storm. To our south, it left a path of destruction. So please take a moment of your day to pray for those whose lives were touched in this storm.


Have a Blessed Day,
Greg
Photo from the internet

Comments

Patience said…
Awesome power of storms! There's nothing you can do about it, so you may as well enjoy the show!
Lavishly Loved said…
If I wake up, or am awake already. I open all the blinds and watch it from every room. Well, not at the same time...I am not psychic...

Anyway, one time I had my head out the front window watching the neighbor boy walk home after his visit. We had had a storm earlier and another round was approaching.

All of a sudden, lightning struck the neighbor across the street's tree. In a split second it travelled down the tree then jumped to the lamp post where it blew out the glass and light.

I shut the window.

The next morning I went around the side of our house. Bark from his tree was on our side lawn. In the street was a fried squirrel.
Breakfast anyone?

Sorry this is so long....maybe I will make it a post. Keep watching the storms Greg! What a awesome God who moves inside them!
I have a love/hate relationship with storms. The beauty and power fascinate me but after being struck by lightening they also scare me - especially since for some freakish reason no one can explain your odds of being struck go up, not down, if you've been struck before!
That must be the same storm I woke up to this morning. It was pouring here and we were under a tornado watch.
B His Girl said…
I have been stuck by lightning before so I am a little concerned about storms and electricity. Once I was at an outdoor venue about to speak and a fast FL storm came up. The event/band moved under cover. They set up the sound system and the floor was wet. Just before they handed me the microphone, the sound guy said be careful you don't touch the mic with your lips or you might get electrocuted. WHAT??? It rattled me. Some of the audience heard what he said to me. They saw the look on my face. I was terrified. As I looked at the audience, I said "We NEED to pray.' The audience laughed and it helped me gain my composure. I prayed the only power we would feel was the Holy Spirit moving among us! Thankfully that was the power we felt. He was my blanket. B
Jamie Dawn said…
Huge storms have awesome power, and they are scary and fun. I wish we could enjoy them without the worry of danger. I'm glad you are okay.
Debbie said…
That power is tremendous, isn't it? We were very lucky yesterday too. It was near us, but not too close.
Kelly said…
When we have a storm like you described, first I hear the boom, the feel the aftershock...then comes the pitter patter of little feet as they run into my bedroom. 2 little girls then sleep in my floor the rest of the night. It always makes me smile when they come running.

I'm sorry about those who had losses based on the storm, but I love a thunder storm too. Reminds me of God's awesome power.
Skoots1moM said…
We had horrible storms last night...the tornadoes were all around us and we were blessed not to get hit by one of them...one person died just southeast of here and tons of damage just to our northwest ... we had 2 3/4 inch hail...people were flying off the interstates to get under awnings...it bashed the daylights out of any cars and windows...there was a 13yo lying on her parents' couch ...a hail ball came through a ceiling skylight and hit her in the chest!!
So, in addition to your blanket over your head, the next time you might want to put on a biker's helmet and get under the dining room table!!
Scarlet said…
I love the way you describe the approaching storm and its effects on you. I've been through some unforgettable storms myself...Hurricane Andrew being the worst of them. Now that was a powerful storm!

I'm glad you're safe and I will pray for those who weren't so lucky.
Loved all of the sensory imagery in this, post, Greg.
I have always enjoyed storms...the more lightening, the better! Of course, I've never been struck by it, either.

But it does give us the smallest glimpse of God's power, doesn't it?

Great post, my friend.
Edie said…
I am facinated by lightenting storms but have a healthy realization of the power they carry too. That kind of power is just amazing to me. And it's nothing compared to the Power of our GOD.
Heaven said…
I am ready for a good thunderstorm. We woke up to snow this morning. I'll take the thunderstorm instead:)
Marla said…
I really don't like storms. I don't like thunder or lightening. My husband used to laugh at me because when it was lightening I would take my earrings off, thinking they would attrack the bolts! I know, I'm nuts!!
ChrisJ said…
Whenever we have heavy rain or what I call squirrely winds, the next day some of the middle and southern states get tornadoes or bad storms. It happens like that all the time not just once in a while. It's as if the storms are just gathering their power together to get up over the mountains and then let it all loose on the other side.

Glad you were safe, but sorry so many people get hurt by thunder storms. They are exciting, but dangerous.
Monogram Queen said…
I love love love a good thunderstorm and they are scarcer than hen's teeth anymore.

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