Storms in Northeast Mississippi: Maggie battles fear

Maggie the Wonder Dog does not like storms. She doesn't mind a rainy day at all. Those are good for snuggling, and she loves snuggling. She does not like thunderstorms, booming thunder, or flashing lightening, though. She toughs it out, as any Wonder Dog would, but she sure doesn't like it. 

This afternoon, I've kept one eye on the weather. Bill the Magnificent was out of town and off this weekend, so I've had the farm to myself, as well as the feeding chores. 

I had planned to feed at 3:00. It was early for the horses and goats, but they like chow any time and I was hoping to beat the bad weather. Not long before 3:00, I headed out, stopping to put on my barn shoes. It wasn't raining, so I almost skipped my rain suit. Almost. At the last minute I donned the full suit, and I was really glad I did. 

Just as I stepped off the screened porch, it started to rain. By the time I got to the barn, the thunder and lightening had started. My adventures in the storm are fodder for another post, but I got everyone fed and headed back to the house. 

Mamie the apprentice wonder puppy was waiting for me at the door. She is very energetic, so she ran in circles and hopped around a bit. Maggie was nowhere to be found. I checked every room downstairs. No Maggie. I went upstairs. No Maggie. Where was she? I had no idea. 

Finally, I made the rounds again, calling her name. When I looked in my bedroom, I saw two dark eyes looking out from under a pillow on my bed. When there is a storm at night and she's afraid, I always let her on my bed and snuggle her until she is peaceful again. When the storm started today, Maggie had gone to the one place she can count on to find comfort in a storm. She was on my bed, underneath a mountain of pillows, waiting for me. No whimpering, no trembling, just still and waiting. I can't begin to tell you how glad she was to see me!

Maggie has pretty good sense about finding comfort in a storm, doesn't she? Storms can be scary, no matter what form they take. I'm not sure I've always done as well with the storms of life. When hard times come, it's easy to find comfort in the most convenient place. For some people, it's drugs or alcohol. For others, it's food. For me, it's work and worry. If we would just stop long enough to remember that verse we learned as children, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Psalm 56:3) we would know exactly what to do and where to turn in our fear, in our storms. 

As the coming storms rage, the lightening flashes, and the thunder rolls, let them be a reminder of the only One who can be trusted with any storm you face, and put your trust in Him.