June 13

The last few days, I have experienced that oppressive heaviness that arrives before a thunderstorm.  As the day wears on, the atmosphere bears down.  Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, a few drops of rain fell.  A couple days, that was all.  The weight of the air persisted.  The heat prevailed.  One day, the storm came.  It was tremendous, scary, Rain pelleted, cascaded to the ground.  Thunder and lightning detonated.  Then the storm passed, the rain almost caressing as it fell.  The air was clear and cool and light.  We could breathe.

Thank you, God, for storms- for the literal storms to lower our temperatures and clear our atmosphere.  Thank God, for storms- for the storms of life that unsettle and re-arrange the pieces of our lives.  Thank you, God, for the clearing that those storms can give us, for the clarity, for the opening up of new ways and the recovering of old ways that storms can give us.  Thank you, God, for being with us, steadfast and true, through all our storms.  Amen.