I just flew in the night before from an amazing roadtrip with my parents. I mustered the troops and we went to church when we had a little emergency which rerouted me home with child in tow. As they dealt with the emergency, I had time to sit and meditate on the front porch, which happens to be my favorite thinking spot. A strong thunderstorm had rolled in since we parked and ran in the house. Quickly the sky was dark and the rumbling began in the sky above my porch. There was a little rumbling in my heart for the little interruption to my plans. I love my church family and was looking forward to studying, singing and praying with them and that had been interrupted, potentially for the rest of the day. So I sat in my thinking spot and grumbled and rumbled to the Lord along with the thunder outside.
I love thunderstorms! No, really I LOVE thunderstorms. I grew up in Arizona and had the privilege of summer thunderstorms that would roll in daily. I love watching the lightening and the thunder reminds me of all the Bible verses where God's voice is like thunder (2 Samuel 22:13-15, Job 37:4,5, Psalm 29:3,4).
With a loud SNAP!, I sat on the swing and lifted my hands in praise and said, "Well, Lord, you're close! Speak something to me since I can't be in Your house right now." And as I sat there listening to His loud, majestically deep voice, I heard something different. A high pitch, and sweetly trilled, a bird seemed to sing louder after each thunder clap. Amused I went toward the sound to see where this silly creature was sitting during the storm that threatened the tree next to my porch. I couldn't see anything thru the rain which was pouring down from my eaves, but I could hear it's voice singing loudly after every single thunder clap. A dialog between the King of kings and the sparrow that He would inevitably see fall one day. No fear.
I was reminded of that beautiful song by Casting Crowns, "Praise You in This Storm." I started singing along with the bird and apparently with the Lord singing a low bass. The bird was encouraged to sing louder and more often. I was in awe that I stood on my porch, in a thunderstorm, in the most beautiful worship service I've experienced between differing life forms; bird, human and Divine!
So if you're going thru a storm right now, remember the sparrow that sat in my tree singing with each thunder clap. When the rain falls, it is His mercy. When the wind blows, remember His Spirit is moving. When the lightening flashes, look at His brilliance. When He thunders from above, ask Him to speak in words you can comprehend, and praise Him in the storm.