When I was a child, I was terrified of thunderstorms. My mother fed my terror by making a small pile of clothing, food and blankets at the foot of each of her children’s beds on nights when severe weather was expected. On the occasions when the weather deteriorated as predicted, we would all gather up our little bundles and follow Mom and Dad to our basement to wait out the storm.

When I was in college, the town where I had an apartment was the target of a serious tornado. I had been similarly trained to fear tornadoes, so I spent the night during the bad weather in my bathroom fully expecting to be blown to a never-never land that would have a yellow-brick road to lead me back home. That didn’t happen, and that experience might have lead to my fascination now with storms.

Now when my cell phone rings with an automated warning of severe weather, instead of retreating to our crawlspace, I take my camera out to our covered front porch and sit on the swing and watch the clouds twist and contort as the wind pushes them along. I enjoy the rain-fresh smell in the air. I watch the tree limbs bend in the wind and wonder how they keep from breaking off. The roll of thunder is no longer a sound that sends chills down my back. Rather, it is an invitation to pull up a seat and witness God’s power on display in the skies.

Today was a hot and muggy June day – just the kind of day we thought we wanted back in May when the temperatures were unseasonably cold. While my mom and I were driving home from a medical appointment, she noticed thunderheads forming in the western sky. I could almost feel her stomach knotting up in apprehension. After we pulled into the parking lot at her assisted living unit, I suggested that we sit outside a few minutes and just watch the storm. She declined the opportunity, just as I expected. So, I came home and settled down in my porch rocker and let the broiling sky entertain me.

God has created such an incredible world for us to enjoy!