The clouds couldn’t sleep.

All night, they tossed about fitfully,

Gray shadows churning against a black, starless sky.

An unnamed sadness weighed heavily,

Until the clouds leaned into dawn’s faint light,

Releasing a downpour of tears.

 

I woke to the sound of pounding rain overhead,

The sky’s sorrow demanded notice.

My heartbeat quickened, my eyes opened full and wide.

I began patting the ground around me,

Reaching down and feeling my feet.

Dry.

Everywhere.

Dry.

 

Mind still muddled by sleep’s reluctant grasp,

I patted the circle of ground around me again.

Still dry.

How is it that a thin sheet of nylon,

Can act as a strong roof, four walls, and secure ground?

How is that possible?

 

The clouds begged me to join their distress,

To worry, to fret, to cry.

How could everything be okay amidst a storm like this?

But it was.

I let my feet push to the bottom of the sleeping bag,

Dry and warm.

I listened to the pounding drops overhead,

And I said, “Thank you.”

 

Thank you, God, that your provision for me,

Is not too thin,

Or too weak.

Thank you, God, that your covering over me,

Is strong,

And enough.

Even when I can’t understand how that works out,

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

Free from doubt, worry, and tears.

 

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8

Photo Credits: Tech Haven Ministries, lorentey

Written By Brooke Caldwell, Stories From a Sojourner

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