The thunder sounded like a mountain rolled on our front lawn. A zap zipped through the wall and electronic after electronic died a sudden death.  On August 6 at 5:46 p.m., our TV, cable box, our Wi-Fi and my son’s Xbox were no more. Lightning fried anything plugged into the north facing wall.

My husband and son were out for the evening. I sat in this disaster alone. Rain pummeled the windows as the wind recklessly rearranged our porch furniture. Our house was under attack.

But we were under God’s grace. The attack was the louder of the two. At first.

It was hard to ignore the wind gusts, sheets of rain and thunder trailing in the distance. Uncertain of the extent of the damage, I started pushing buttons on our devices. None of them worked.

Grace shared its perspective.

When lightning sizzled through our walls, I was safely across the room.

The cable box and Wi-Fi were replaceable.

My son wasn’t holding a remote playing Xbox when lightning came.

Gratitude surfaced. But it felt like once the zap finished with our electronics, it headed straight for my faith. It wasn’t fried like my TV but it was fragile.

Tiny fractures can appear in our beliefs after an abrupt change of circumstances or a sudden jolt to a dream.

I wondered what God was saying as my heart was reeling. He certainly had my attention. Psalm 46:10 had the answer.

“Be still, and know that I am God! (NLT)
“That’s enough! Now know that I am God! (CEB)

As I whispered “That’s enough” I applied His command to the storm. And yet, the command also applied to me. I’d pushed enough buttons, electronic and otherwise. In a larger sense, they stood for my many attempts to fix situations only God can. You may have your own set of buttons — something you’re desperately trying to push towards restoration.

Taking my brokenness before God helps me see inaction is not ineffective, if my pause is spent in His Presence.

This stillness steadied my heart. I told fear and self-pity, “Not me. Not today.” I determined to focus on who God is and what He preserved. My laptop’s lights flickered as a signal it survived. I prayed for my husband and son. The three of us have been through a lot lately. However, after surveying our home’s structure, there was no visible damage. Our house stood strong.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”– Matthew 7:24-25 NLT

When we listen to Jesus and follow Him, a storm never has the final say. His grace always does. There were several delays, but three days later our services were restored.

The lightning strike wasn’t a bizarre happenstance. It was a faith invitation. A resurrection reminder. In spite of the damage around us, in Christ we can stand. There may be delays, doubts and fears to overcome, but through Him we are restored.

Resting in this truth often takes some wrestling with my faith; particularly, when it’s been struck by lightning. A bolt is destructive to anything in its path. I have the fried devices to prove it.

However, lightning didn’t short-circuit my faith. By grace, it empowered it.

As we trust God, He takes what was meant to harm us and turns it into something it’s hard to contain — His glory.

The mountainous obstacle to His plan has to move. (Matthew 17:20)

The fear bully stops recklessly rearranging my priorities. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Truth replaces the lies pummeling my perspective. (John 8:31-32)

Trusting Him will do the same for you. Because even in a storm, knowing God always brings hope for the heart and joy to the soul.