Thunder and Psalm 56.3

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. [Psalm 56.3]

I suppose as long as I shall live that any time I read a portion of the Bible that contains this verse in it, I will be drawn to it.

As I write this particular post, it is, ironically, thundering outside.  I am reminded by the thunder and this verse that as a child, thunder (more often than not) brought this verse both to my mind and to my lips.  

Growing up in Eastern Oklahoma exposed me to quite numerous and often severe thunderstorms capable of tornado activity.  For whatever reason, I was almost paralyzed with fear of the 'dreaded tornado.'  I am quite confident that I have quoted Psalm 56.3 more than any other in my lifetime (and most of that as a child).

As a youngster, Mom always made sure that my two brothers and I attended Vacation Bible School in the summers.  Whether Mom was that concerned for our souls or just wanted us out of her hair, I am sadly unsure.  However, the fact remains that we often attended several different VBS programs each summer.  It was early in the week at a VBS at First Baptist Church in Sallisaw, Oklahoma that in my particular class, each of us children were assigned a verse (with reference only to the book in which it was found - mine was the Psalms) and told to find it in that particular book of the Bible as an overnight assignment.  

For a young child with no computer (in those days - late '60's) and no idea what a concordance was, I spent the rest of the afternoon (after VBS let out) searching the Psalms for "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." (King James Version).  It is funny how one remembers certain things, but my search took place at my grandparents' house and my favorite aunt in the world at that time kindly helped me (she was in from out of town as I recall).  I have no recollection as to which of us found the verse, but it was indeed found, and a lifetime of quoting, loving, and relying on it commenced from that day.

There is more irony to this story worth noting here (in addition to the fact that it is currently thundering outside as of this writing).  It would be several years later, as a drivers license wielding teen, that I finally felt relieved of that paralyzing fear of thunderstorms.  This realization took place in the country west of Texarkana, Texas at the house of none other than that same favorite aunt during a terrible thunderstorm one summer day.

The irony continues however.  It would be many years later, as a young married man with a new baby and without a clue about anything else, that I first tried my hand at songwriting.  In Christian zeal, my first song quite naturally was focused on the verse (Psalm 56.3) that had become emblazoned upon my heart from my early childhood.  It was written during a very short period of time that my young family and I lived in Texarkana near my aunt and uncle (because they were trying to help us at a time when my own financial and life decisions had rendered me pathetically disfunctional).

What does it all mean?  Why did so much of the meaning of Psalm 56.3 come to me in close proximity to this relative?

Perhaps, for today, it is enough to consider the importance of helping a child find a verse in the Bible.  I am guessing that my aunt (now, practically a stranger to me) had no notion that spending a few minutes with her rambunctious nephew one summer afternoon would set in motion a course of events that would include the intersection of her life with his - with that little verse at the center.  But it did.

Father, thank You for the events in my life that were totally out of my control that shaped my life nonetheless.  Thank You for the thunderstorm today that only reminds me how precious Psalm 56.3 is to me and how grateful I am for a relative who took the time to help me find it.