It Still Rains

Dana Gustafson   -   April 6, 2023

Over the course of the last week, our area has experienced multiple severe weather events, ranging from thunderstorms, to hail, to tornadoes. Some storms have been less intense than others but almost everyone in the area was impacted. Tuesday morning, my children and I were under a tornado warning, they were at school and daycare, and I was at my office. We were all in the same town but separate. Being near my babies but ultimately away from them during a tornado warning was an awful feeling. I was uncomfortable and afraid and all I could do was pray for all our safety.

When the school indicated that they would let out early, in advance of a second round of storms, I couldn’t get to my babies fast enough. As I walked up to my 7-year-old son, he immediately hugged me and said, “mommy, I was really afraid during the storms.” His teacher nodded her head and told me that he was very worried about his baby sister as well as Jake and me since he didn’t know if we were safe. As I hugged him back, I said, “you know what, Bud? I was afraid too. I did not like being apart from all my babies during a tornado warning. Even grown-ups get nervous, so I just kept praying for you.” He looked at me, squeezed a little tighter and we headed home.

I could have brushed off his emotions and pretended that I wasn’t nervous, but I decided to validate him instead. We went home and enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon. Throughout the day, we heard about all the damage in the area. We were grateful to have been spared. We rested our heads that night thankful that we made it through the first storm and prayed to get through the second set.

On Wednesday morning, we awoke to the alert sound on Jake’s phone and a voice indicating a tornado warning has been issued for our area. Seek shelter immediately and proceed to a basement if possible. I grabbed the baby, our oldest followed and I went to wake my middle child. He could tell by the tone of my voice that it was urgent and important for him to get out of bed and follow me to the basement. He froze and I said, “we are doing this for safety. I need you to keep your head about you and follow me right now. I will be with you. We are safer together.”

As soon as we got situated in the basement, we sat in our chairs, and I said a prayer asking for safekeeping and courage. Initially, it was quiet but as the storm drew near, I told the boys, “it is almost over, but it will get louder before it passes.” They nodded, acknowledging what I said, and we sat tight. As a family, we sat in the basement and waited out the worst of it.

45 minutes later, the tornado warning was over, the storm passed, and we were upstairs. The boys had a little bit more time to sleep so we encouraged them to go rest a bit longer. My husband took them upstairs as I nursed our infant and I sat in the quiet living room. All I could hear was a steady, gentle rain. I was so thankful that the worst of the storm had passed. I was relieved to be on the other side of it and the sound of soft rain was refreshing compared to heavy winds and thunder and lightning. In that moment, the Holy Spirit simply whispered, “It still rains after a storm.”

It was so clear, but I wasn’t totally sure what it meant yet. I held the statement close to meditate on. After I finished nursing, I went upstairs to snuggle my son as he tried to fall back asleep. I said, “The storm is passed now, we are safe. It’s just rain.” He replied, “good thing you prayed mommy, it made the storm go away.” I responded, “oh honey, praying doesn’t always make the storm go away, but it helps us be courageous and trust God to be near during it. And then next time, we know we can trust God to help us get through another one.”

There it was. It still rains after a storm.

I didn’t want to promise my son that God would always take the storms away, but I did want him to know God is with us during them and he gives us courage to get through each one.

God doesn’t promise us a life of ease, but he does promise his presence. Just as I told my son that we were safer together, God promises we are safer with him. Even though my prayer didn’t end the storm, it did draw us nearer to God during it. He doesn’t promise a life free of storms, but He does say he is the Prince of Peace and our Comforter.

“It still rains after a storm” was a reminder to my heart that although the storms of life are challenging, they don’t always end with sunshine and blue skies. There is aftermath, there are remnants and reminders of them. But just as the rain after severe weather became refreshing, so can our souls be refreshed during, and in, the aftermath of storms because we know that God is with us.

Whether you are in the most severe part of your storm, or sitting with new perspective in the gentle rain, allow yourself to be refreshed. After all, it still rains after storms.

Psalm 139:7-12