"It was late afternoon. I was nursing the baby when I heard a loud BOOM of thunder. A minute later another loud BOOM. Shortly thereafter my little Lemma ran into my room, exclaiming her excitement and interest in the thunder. I took her downstairs and saw that it was just starting to rain. I've always loved a good rainstorm so I invited Lemma to watch with me. I opened the front door and propped open the security door as well so we could see, hear, and smell the rain. We sat right on the threshold so our feet could get a bit wet but we were still protected from the storm.
"The storm was magnificent to watch. The drops of rain were huge and eventually mixed with hail. The wind gusted, blowing cold mist in our faces. There was thunder and lightning. It was beautiful, interesting, and exciting to watch. I was enjoying the storm and loving the cuddles I was sharing with baby William and 2 year old Lemma and feeling grateful for the moment. I started to pray to express my gratitude to the Lord for giving me my home where I could have this experience. It was during this act of praising God for His gift that I started to think of the contrast of experiencing this storm without the comfort and safety of my home.
"From my vantage point the storm was beautiful and exciting. Had I not had a shelter the storm would be terrifying and dangerous. While I was thinking of this I had the impression that this is how it will be during the days of tribulation to come. The Lord will gather His children to safety. We will not be spared all hardships but we will be able to see the beauty in what is going on around us. We will not be overcome by fear because we will be protected, in a place of safety.
"This gave me a lot of comfort and quieted a lot of my fears. I want to be prepared in my heart so that the Lord can gather me as a mother hen gathers her chicks. I want to stick close by Him so that I may be protected from the brunt of the terrible storm beginning to rage."
There is a gathering storm. God has given instruction on how to get through it. Will we experience the storm from a protected position or feel the full force of that storm?
"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet...prepared an ark to the saving of his house..." Hebrews 11:7
