The other night (sometime after midnight), I was rather rudely jolted awake by loud crashing thunder directly over my home. I am someone who (apparently) sleeps on the lighter side, so noises in the yard or noises from nature tend to wake me up. The bright lightning and subsequent thunder were so loud, I don't know how anyone would be able to sleep through it. Anyway, in between the loud rumbles the rain that fell was a steady, soothing rain that countered the thunder by quickly lulling me back to sleep until the next loud crash of thunder jolted me awake again.
When the thunder finally moved to a distance and it was no longer directly overhead, I just focused on the gentle sounds of the rain falling on my roof, windows, and the tree limbs outside. I love the sound of rain drops splashing down. I can easily find myself in joy amidst the soothing sounds of the rain, and I felt it a blessing to listen to it as I fell back to sleep.
Sometimes our lives can be simultaneously transitioned into a trial and a blessing. The storm is a simple example. It's not the thunder that is dangerous, but that it usually what startles us. The lightning is vibrant and full of danger. We seek shelter if outdoors, and we seek comfort if we are woken up in the stillness of the night. But the rain is blessing. Soaking our lands with live-giving water and cooling our atmosphere.
Before I fell back to sleep that night I truly felt joy that I was in a safe place, sheltered from the danger of the storm, and able to listen to a lullaby of nature - the pitter patter of the rain drops. It occurred to me, very sleepily, that sometimes the most subtle joys are amidst a bit of a storm. We just have to be patient as we pass through it.
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