Saturday, June 28, 2008

Thunder



I have always loved the sound of thunder. The louder the better! If accompanied by brilliant white lightning flashes, I am entranced. Nothing seems to reach into my soul like a good thunder storm.

Each year as a new raining season would begin in the jungle, we would have some spectacular thunder storms, the likes I have never experienced elsewhere. I eagerly awaited these storms every year. I can't explain the appeal thunder holds for me. It just leaves me in awe!

I remember one night in the jungle as a new thunder storm worked it's way towards us. The thunder could be heard rumbling off in the distant mountains. You could see the black sky light up as the lightning bolts jagged through the storm clouds, touching earth but for a moment.

I stepped out of my little mud hut, left the protection of my palm roof, and spent an hour alone, in the dark watching the wondrous work of my Creator!

As the storm slowly worked its way over the mountain ridge, down into the valley and along the bed of our river, it felt as if the very power and presence of God was to be felt in the atmosphere.

I lingered as the sound of the rain, falling on the endless leaves of the jungle trees, miles away, yet audible, came closer towards me, louder each minute, until I felt the cool, hard rain falling upon my head. Then my soul seemed unable to bear the wonder of it and my voice broke forth in a song of worship to my Father God!


O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!


When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!


And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!


When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

12 comments:

Tori Leslie said...

Great post Rita!

I also love the thunder and lightning. This year we have had some doozies. My kids and I love to stay out side and watch the storm but it makes hubby a bit nervous. Yesterday we had a big one the sky turned bright yellow, there was a full rainbow across it and lightning at the same time. It was pretty awesome.

I'm always amazed at the sheer power or nature and therefore God!

Great post, love that hymn.
Happy weekend!

Gecko said...

I use to be frightened of thunder storms, for some reason, until I spent many years in the outback of Australia. I eventually learned to look forward to the thunder and lightning season, and I loved the power and the beauty of the nearly constant storms of the wet season.

Nina in Portugal said...

Beautiful!

CrimeSceneFairy said...

I LOVE THUNDER TOO!!!
We don't get it that much here. :(
I like that hymn too

Gayle said...

Lovely post, Rita. :)

I only wish we would get some thunder because it usually brings rain. The thunderstorms here in Central Texas are awesome indeed, but we haven't heard any thunder or had any rain for a month now. Just heat, heat, and more heat!

Jane said...

Rita, what a beautiful post. Our Lord's creation is always amazing!

Harry said...

We're all big lightning fans in this house, except for one of our dogs, who heads immediately under my daughter's bed at the first thunder clap.

The Merry Widow said...

One of the neatest storms I have ever seen, was way back in the 80's.
The lightening was overhead and PURPLE! Awesome isn't the word for it!
Here in Florida, thunderstorms are pretty much the norm in the summer and fall...
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!

tmw
BTW-That is one of my favorite hymns!

Thursday's Child said...

Oh, I miss thunderstorms! It doesn't typically rain in Lebanon from June til September though 2 years ago we had about 20 minutes of rain. There was also a little bit of rain one day when I picked up the kids from camp last summer. I'm hoping for some really unseasonable weather some time during our visit.

I love that hymn!

Anonymous said...

Actually, there is a book that might help you understand the reasons "why" thunderstorms have their particular "appeal". It is perhaps the only truly "accessible" work Immanuel Kant wrote and it was entitled "Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and the Sublime. I highly recommend it, as a "thunderstorm" falls into the "category" of the sublime much as a healthy fear of G_d would.

Z said...

Beautiful post (and hymn)..I share the feeling and love what FJ said, too.

Pilot-Pooja said...

Hey Jungle Mom..you've written the prose so well....

I too love the sound of thunders..looks so soothing and miraculous to me!!
Cheers!!