A transitory gleam chanced to reveal its presence through the window pane. It passed almost as quickly as it came, but even in such a short amount of time it managed to steal something from you: drowsiness. Interest piqued, you approach the door to the outer realm and with outstretched hand gave it a turn and a push. It glides open noiselessly, letting the cool night air in with such an ever slight motion that one would hardly have noticed it except for the stillness of the night. A lonely insect hums in a clump of grass. Others join him. What was it that drew you out here this late at night? You aren't quite sure. Perhaps nobody will ever know. Nevertheless, you stand there waiting, waiting for something to happen. Then of a sudden, it happens. A small gust of wind presses against the grass and sends it waving in so many spirals like the waves of the sea at dawn. A scent wafts along with that breath of wind, a scent that reminds you of something, but you can't quite put your finger down on it. You take another deep breath and.... there it is. You remember. Rain. A storm is brewing. It's not quite there yet, but you know it's coming. The night has betrayed itself, its intentions are known. The Silence and the utter Darkness have declared it and the Wind and the Grass have both confirmed it.
And then, a flicker. For a second the entire world is alight, you see two trees standing a ways away. They seem fairly close, and slightly tall. And then there's also... something. There's something else out there that you didn't have time to see, but it is dark once again. And you must see it. You wait. A dozen seconds pass, and you catch another glimpse; it's just a far off treeline making it's way across the horizon. Gazelles are over there somewhere all bedded down, and the ducks have surely taken refuge as well. And it's a good thing too, for there was something else you saw that was dark and foreboding, snaking its way along daring anyone to dare and cross its path. He swallows things whole, takes them away, and no-one ever sees them again. He is a beast. Another flash among the shapeless clouds above, and... you were wrong. He was not at all ominous, he was a river. But it was a sad river that wound its way through the darkness. STRIKE! A bolt of Lightning deigns to descend from the upper reaches of the sky and strike some distant object. The sheer power of it leaves you in awe, and moments later the thunder rolls across the sky and echos into the night. And then another strike. And another. It's a lightning storm; there's dark, foreboding clouds and even some wind, but nary a drop of rain. The lightning keeps up, the land is almost continually bright. Your attention is bound and captive, and you just stare as lightning bolt after lightning bolt strikes the ground in the distance. Some of the lightning just bounces between the clouds like a game of pinball. And the Thunder. It's almost as if two armies are shooting off round after round of artillery fire, each trying to outdo the other.
Then there is a slight pause in the storm. Things are beginning to slow down, the lightning is coming less and less often. And then... KKRRFLAM!!! Lightning strikes just on the other side of the river, and the thunder takes no pause but immediately sounds out in a deafening boom. You jump up off the ground as your head snaps to the left in the direction from which it came. Your heart beats faster than when you hear your name being called out by that Special Someone. Your nerves are shattered by the unexpected savagery of the lightning. You tremble. You had let your guard down, and at that moment, it struck.
A drop of water hits the ground in front of you, and then another. It starts slow, but grows steadier and steadier. Now comes the rain. The lightning decides to come back again, and the wind picks up its pace and brings even more rain on its tail. Things are now set in motion that cannot be undone. You are about to witness The Storm. A chill goes down your spine at the long anticipated arrival; here it comes. You stand out in what has become the cold, and the rain soaks into your skin and soon you are wet. But you don't care, and just stand there and stare. It's amazing. It's beautiful. It's all it was meant to be. And while the rest of the world has given itself up to slumber, here you are, the sole witness to a microcosm of God's glory. And behold, it was Very Good.
beautiful!
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