The beauty…and the message…in a thunderstorm.

Although you would never guess by looking at me, I exercise on a fairly regular basis. My activity of choice is running. Not far and not fast, but enough to sweat and breathe really hard.

I was at Crockett Park this afternoon finishing up what felt like a 10 mile run (was really closer to 3) when a line of thunderstorms began to approach. Instead of falling in to the front seat of my truck until I could breathe normally again, I instead grabbed a Max Lucado book that I keep in my truck and ducked under a pavilion to watch the incoming storm.

As I read about the power of the God that we serve, I could also literally see His power. The lighting bolts that shook the ground, the dark clouds that blocked the sun, and the power of the wind! If you think you don’t ever hear from God, go outside during a storm. It is sometimes ironic how we, as mere humans, feel that we are so much in control of our lives or the world around us. On the other hand, it is the Creator of the universe that we don’t give any credit…or time…to. If the only sign of his presence that we ever saw was a thunderstorm, wouldn’t that be enough to convince us that He can take care of us? Why do we fight so hard to be in control instead of allowing the God that created us and loves us to be the Lord of our lives? Our time? Our resources? Our money?

So…I don’t know if you see God in a thunderstorm or maybe in the kind words of a stranger, but He is there. He is always listening and waiting. He is waiting on you and me to say that we need Him and want Him in our lives. He is waiting on us to recognize Him and to accept what He wants so badly to give to us…freedom. Freedom from our worry, our stress, our uncertainty, and freedom from the sin and the sadness of this world.

I hope that YOU get caught in a thunderstorm soon!

God bless – Hugh