I woke up with a smile on my face today. I must have been dreaming in Arabic, because I was singing in Arabic in my unmusical head the old hymn, “How Great Thou Art.” As I’m sitting here still basking in the gentle reminder of who I am, I consider the circumstances of the hymn’s author when he wrote this mighty tribute, especially while we are experiencing sudden summer storms ourselves.
The Swedish preacher, Carl Boberg (1885), wrote these lyrics after being caught in a midday violent thunderstorm followed by a clear, brilliant sun and the calm, chattering songs of birds in the trees underwhich he ran for shelter.
Isn’t life like that? Threatening, unimaginable destructive storms do happen and will muscle into our cores again and again. But remember that you have to move on somehow. You hold your head up and gaze at something beautiful like the sky, or the ocean, or your garden and walk, limp, trudge, or even stride on!
As others observe you, few will understand your source of determination and strength. Only those who have survived the similar storms of ordinary life, who have been betrayed by loved ones and lost loved ones, and those who have forgotten how to be hugged and lead by dreams will understand and hold you fast.
Only then will you be able to glimpse hope after the storms and sing, “How Great Thou Art!”
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 through out
The universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee,
How great thou art,
How great thou art.
Name your storms today. Can you see hope through the pounding darkness?
Thou art my hope, O Lord, my trust, O Lord, since boyhood. From birth I have leaned upon thee, my protector since I left my mother’s womb. To many I seem a solemn warning; but I have thee for my strong refuge.