Thunderstorms have been a favorite of mine for a long time. As most kids do I went through the phase of thunder and lighting being scary and undesirable.

I can recall the first time I ever heard the rumble of thunder and sudden crack of thunder and felt pure peace. That is a story for a different time.

I love the way the world smells right before the storm hits. The pure earthy smell and the damp air. Pure heaven. The deep rumble of thunder always sparks this excitement in me like I don’t already know what happens next.

Bright flashes of lightning that light up the whole block and expose all the things that sought shelter in the shadows. I can sit in the window or on a porch and watch storms for hours, or however long they last.

I find this calm in it all. I feel at peace with the things around me. I find this comfort both strange and needed. Not much can bring my normally chaotic mind to a slow steady stream of calm connection, Storms though… they can.

During a storm, all five of my senses can feel nature. I love how quickly I can get sucked into it all. Watching how quickly the storm clouds darken, gather and engulf the skies above me. I find the whole thing extremely beautiful and peaceful.

I find such peace here that at one point one of my trauma counselors made me a CD that was nothing but the sounds of thunderstorms to help calm me in moments over overwhelming emotion and to also help me try to sleep.

I still do this today its just an app now instead of a CD.

“Storms draw something out of us that calm seas don’t.” -Bill Hybels