Sleeping Through Thunderstorms

   I am finding the thunderstorm to be surprisingly relaxing tonight. Typically, they are an annoyance, but tonight, as I sit in my cozy apartment, I feel safe in the midst of the storm. It is bittersweet, because in a few short weeks I will no longer call this apartment, mine. I won’t dwell on that tonight though.. because right now, I want to relish in the safety of being wrapped in the arms of my heavenly Father, whilst the storm whips around me. I love that feeling of security. 

   This is very often how the Father shows His love for me. He shows me the storm, and then reminds me that I am apart from it. It’s not that I’m on the outside looking in. I am, in fact, in the middle of the storm. But through his mighty power, I am shielded from the effects of it. I can curl up in a ball in His arms and sleep through it. He loves to let me sleep in the safety of His arms. 

   I am reminded of the many times I have literally slept through storms. As a child living in Florida, I slept through a category 5 hurricane. As an adult, there have been many times where I awoke in the morning only to hear stories of, “Did you hear the storm last night? It was incredible!” My response is typically the same.. “I didn’t hear it. I must have slept through it.” Or some other variation of the same. I am not suggesting, by any means, that we should attempt to sleep through the storms of life. I am simply expressing a particular way the Lord has chosen to remind me of His love for me. 

   I have had more than one circumstance in my life where I felt unsafe or threatened. In my little child heart, I quickly learned that if I didn’t look out for myself, no one else would. I learned that I had to fight for, not only the things I wanted, but for the things I needed. A huge turning point in my relationship with the Lord, has been the revelation that I don’t have to fight my own battles. Instead, I can relinquish them to my heavenly Daddy, who goes to war for His children every day. I can run into the safety of his arms. 

   Another aspect of His character that I love is that in a similar way that I run into the arms of my heavenly Father, I also run into the arms of my Lord, who calls me his beloved. He sacrificed himself for His bride, the church. He is passionately in love with me, and rescues me with all the gallantry of a prince rescuing his beloved damsel in distress. I find it so fascinating and incredible that the Lord can be so many things for me all at the same time. He has reminded me, over and over again, that He fights my battles for me, so I have nothing to fear.

   It is often difficult for me to remember that I don’t have to constantly be on the defensive. I am so thankful for His grace for me, in reminding me so sweetly that I am safe. Not only do I not have to fight, but I am so secure that I can sleep in His arms in the midst of a battle. That’s really something. As a mental picture, I imagine what it might be like to sleep in wartime. Soldiers live with the constant awareness that the battle may come to them, and that it can come at any moment. I wonder how many of them truly get a good night’s sleep? The fact that I can truly rest, because I am completely safe in my Father’s arms, is so incredible to me. I am humbled and sometimes in awe and disbelief. Who am I, to receive this unfathomable love from my creator? Little ol' me? I am but a pebble in the dust when compared to Him. Yet, still he showers His affections on me. 

   So tonight, I am going to continue to rest in the safety of His loving arms, while I let the storm rock me to sleep. I hope that you, too, learn to rest in His arms in the midst of the storm. There is no safer place.