Always Call

He is with us

Jeremiah 29:12
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

I’m Norene and I have ombrophobia at the same time, astraphobia. Whenever a thunderstorm strikes, I started desolating myself, covering my ears, and shedding tears, scared to hear its loud sound because I feel as though it would hit me anytime.

I love rain, however, I’m also scared of it especially when lightning and thunder strikes. I don’t know but I became like this started when I was young. Other says, I should endure it since it strikes every year and we can’t avoid it but no matter how hard I tried, I can’t.

Thunderstorm occurs every June to September here in our province. It strikes every afternoon. Loud thunder and strong lightning with heavy raindrops dropping onto our roof. I don’t know what to do whenever it occurs. I’m overthinking to the point that it affect my mental health.

And there’s one day, the thunderstorm was different than what I usually experience. The thunder and lightning was very strong. The thunder was so loud that if it occur, you can feel like it was just above your head. You can also see how the lightning strike, looks like a root or line that you may thought would hit you anytime. Whenever they strike, my heart beats extremely fast as if it is going to explode due to my fear.

That time, I don’t think I can survive. I always cover my ears and pressed my hands onto them firmly, I even close my eyes so that I can’t see any lightning. However, although I close my eyes, my fear won’t stop. I’m still overthinking that something might happen to me. The loud sounds were still audible even though I cover my ears.

I really want to give up that time. I cried inside my room, not letting my family know what happened to me. I even reached the point where in I badly want to shout. My mind was filled with negative thoughts caused me to almost lose my sanity.  Perhaps, I’m already depressed during that time.

The thunderstorm didn’t stopped. I don’t know if it lasted for two or three hours. That time, there were even moments I became breathless. My body begun to shudder. I felt as though I really want to give up. I can’t even explain what I am feeling that time.

But still I tried to calm myself and called His name.

“Please, Lord! Let this thunderstorm stop now!” I uttered repeatedly. I don’t know how many times I mumbled those words but I still keep on praying while trying to calm myself.

After an hour, the thunderstorm was slowly subsiding and my heart was calming little by little. I wiped my tears and heaved a deep sigh of relief.

However, my tears suddenly seeped onto my cheeks again not because I was still scared but because of God. He saved me. He never leave me. He helped me to surpass my fear that time that’s why I didn’t gave up. I survived because of Him. I didn’t let my fear enveloped me because He’s there with me.

He strengthened me. He accompanied me. He stayed beside me.

I don’t know how many hours had passed when the thunderstorm stopped. And still, I couldn’t restrain myself from crying, thanking God for his kindness and that’s why I owe my everything to Him. What happened to me might be a simple scenario to others but for me, it is my testimony of how Great our God is!

I’m just sharing this experience of mine since I want to tell you how merciful, how kind, how wonderful our God is that whenever you are scared, depressed or feeling blue, don’t stop calling for His name because He loves us and He is always there with us. When we feel as though we can no longer survive in any circumstances, remember that we have our shelter, and it is Him. Therefore, call for His name. Always.