Life Lessons Learned Through A Thunder Storm
By Colin Stewart

When I was single, I really enjoyed travelling. I enjoyed getting behind the wheel, and driving someplace.  When I travelled, most often alone, I always thought about what I needed to do when I arrived, especially on the way home. That’s what it’s about. Home.

It was summer 2000, if I remember correctly. I was coming home from Kenosee Lake Bible Camp, driving up highway 48. I forget which town I had just gone through when I saw the storm clouds ahead. I thought “It won’t be so bad. I’m headed west, and storms usually travel west to east.” I didn’t know how big the storm cell was, or how bad.

When I hit it, I started hydroplaning, so I had to slow down. The storm lasted longer than I was expecting, about ten minutes, maybe more. I finally reached the end (or what I thought was the end) of the storm, so I sped back up. What I didn’t know was that as I approached the next town, I would hit another storm cell.  I came up on the car in front of me pretty quick. I was hydroplaning again, so I was a little worried as I hit the brakes. Fortunately, my tires grabbed, and I was able to avoid a collision.

The storm lasted a few more minutes, and then it was over. It was clear sailing the rest of the way home.  Driving through that storm was challenging, and stressful. All the way through, I had my thoughts focussed on home. Not getting there, but being there.

So why am I telling you this? Just like that day, we are travellers in this life. Just like that day, our destination  is home (which is heaven). We face many storms (or trials). The best way I know to get through the storms is to focus on home. Not getting there, but what we’ll do when we arrive. Not getting there, but what it will be like when we get there.