thunder: a healthy fear

I have a vivid memory of thunder and lightning in my mind from when I was a kid. I was sleeping on my parent's floor in the midst of the storm and could see their entire curtain light up, creating fear within me as I waited for the impending boom of thunder. To this day, I am not a huge fan of thunder. Today, as I did a little work outside at my Mom's house, I tried to ignore the thunder until my children came out next to me.

In my mind, I know my fear of thunder is irrational and as an adult, I have mostly outgrown it. It still sends shivers down my spine, but not the fear that makes me want to sleep on my parents floor. My husband thinks it's cute and tells me he'll take care of me whenever we are in the midst of a thunder storm (cute, eh?). As for my children, I tell them that thunder is the sound of God's voice. He is mighty and powerful and strong and can boom like the loudest thunder!

You see, I don't want to pass on my fears to my kids if I can help it in anyway. They have enough of their own to worry about, I don't need to give them anymore! My daughter doesn't like the sound of balloons popping or fireworks. My son doesn't like the eyeballs he sees under his bed sometimes.

My (now little) fears still include heights, getting shots or blood drawn, being in the center of a row, being in small enclosed areas, and dentist visits. I let my husband take them to each of their first "working" dentist appointments (not just check ups - those were easy!) He's so much better at remaining calm - he even talks me out of my anxiety! That's what Daddys are supposed to do, right? Stay calm and levelheaded on the way to the ER... Mommies should keep their mouths shut and not spout out all the "what ifs" that come to mind! My point is, when my children have to face my fears, I try my hardest not to project what I am feeling onto them.

There are some healthy fears that I do try to help my children understand. Don't go near strangers. Don't go out of my sight. Do not let go of my hand in the parking lot. Look both ways before crossing the street. My kids are old enough to understand the "whys" and "why nots" of these so I explain the reasons to them to create a healthy fear in them.

As I finish up, I realize that there's a valuable point to thunder. It is a reminder of the power of our God. And sometimes we need to be reminded to have a healthy fear of Him.