A Song After the Storm
Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 (NIV)
When the sky turns grey and ominous up here on Bloss mountain, the animals’ behaviors change. There is more activity at the feeders—on the last of the sunflower seed. The deer come sooner just in case Michael might have fed them early. The wind picks up and the trees sway. Then all the wildlife seems to disappear. Even the little chippies high tail it somewhere and snuggle in. For the time being, life slows down. Ashley Clark (All God’s Creatures) shares what she discovered about storms.
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The last two days have brought much-needed rain after a period of intense summer heat here in Florida. When we came home from church this afternoon, I immediately noticed the beautiful chorus being sung by all my backyard birds. In particular, the cardinals living just past my fence line chirped a gentle song. Their melody almost seemed to rejoice that the rain clouds had parted and the sun reappeared after all the storms.
After listening to the cardinals for a while, I began to think about how quiet these birds became during the rain. Wondering why that may be, I did some research and learned that birds’ calls may be difficult for other birds to hear over the sound of storms. Birds also tend to have a difficult time flying in bad weather, so they will stay put quietly until the storm passes. How still and strange the world becomes when the sky grows dark and the birds fall quiet.
In the same way, the storms of life sometimes leave me hunkered down. It’s easy to feel as though I must take shelter and stay quiet until the storm passes. Sometimes I struggle to feel heard—or to hear the voice of God—over the sound of the wind, rain, and thunder.
But as I listen to those cardinals sing today, I’m reminded of a beautiful truth: no storm remains forever. Night always gives way to dawn. Creation will once again come alive in a song to its Creator. Though I may have to wait for some storms to pass, I can take courage knowing a song of rejoicing is coming.
The early morning hour should be dedicated to praise: do not the birds set us the example? Charles H. Spurgeon
Heavenly Father, thank You for all the life-lessons that You show us through nature and Your creation. Help us to remember that our storms will not last forever. AMEN.