The Thrill Of The Storm

The storm is coming... I can see it on the horizon. Matt and I sit on the front porch. Talking. Drinking. His, a Tequila Sunrise. Mine, a glass of red wine. Yum. What a fantastic way to end our week. Or are we just beginning? Hmm... who cares. It's still great.

The storm gets closer. The flashes of lightening are no longer just glimmers in the corner of our eyes, but now the brightening of the sky. The trees are darkened images against the white clouds of light. I pour myself another glass.

We talk of what's to come. This week. This month. This year. It seems we can always dream and wonder and plan. Those plans are just weak estimates as to what will really come. Sorta like this storm. It looks big. Will it pass right over us? Maybe. I hope so. Something thrilling is in the air.

Sure enough. The wind is whipping up. It's chilly. Refreshing, actually. I get goosebumps. The Hubs chuckles at my feminine sensitivity. He isn't cold... just full of anticipation. For the storm? Or the things we've just discussed? Probably the latter. He's a simple man with simple expectations. This is why I adore him. Keep it simple.

The flash warns of what's to come. Sure enough. There it is. So loud. Booming. It creates a moment of fear in me, but turns to excitement. What a thrill. What beauty. God made this. This moment. I'm laughing out loud and elated when I see the Hubs laugh too. I can see that he wants to embrace me. Assure me of safety. I'm safe. I feel it.

The rain pours down and the mist is cool. Cold on my skin, actually.. Let's go in, I shout. Hubs agrees. We go inside to the warm light. Oh... so tipsy. I drank that last glass quickly. Funny how that happens. We peek outside and see the sheets of rain in the streetlight. It's pouring. Unbelievable. It smells good.

Thanks be to God the storm came right over us. What if it had missed us? We would have been the ones to miss out. Isn't that life, though? Avoiding the storms. The rain. It makes us wet. Ugly. But the thrill! Isn't it worth the ugly? We see beauty in the storm. Magnificent beauty. It's of God. It has to be.