Thunder makes a drumroll outside my window as I write this, followed by the tap, tap of the rain against the glass. It reminds me of something my three year old mentioned to me recently. He’s very excited about God. It’s lovely to see. While we were outside, he began his usual list of all the things God made.

He said, “Mommy, God made the twees”, and he looked at me, waited.
“Yes, Samuel, God made the trees.”
He puffed his little chest out and nodded. “Mommy, God made the gwass.”
“That’s right, Samuel, “I replied. “God made the grass.”
He squinted up his little blue eyes and stared at the sky. Clouds of various grey and white hues drifted in front of the sun.
“Mommy, God made the storm.”

I followed his gaze up to the sky and paused. Hmmm, does God make the storms? Yes, of course He does, but something about his statement resonated much deeper in my heart. To believe the God of the Bible is truly God, I must admit He does make the storms….and not just the windy-rainy kind either. He either allows or creates the storms that blow into my life! Why? To make us more Christ-like….to get us ‘fit’ for Heaven.

The Bible is very clear on the topic.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2.

And later in verse 12 of the same chapter, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. “

“Storms’ don’t just show up without God’s knowledge. Here’s are some more great verses from 1 Peter.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. “

God has a plan for our trials. Just as some of the storms that pass by our houses during a drought help make the withered grass and flowers grow, so do these ‘storms’ in our lives make us grow….blossom into more of the ‘character of Christ’. In our weaknesses, we rely on His strength. Sometimes, it is all we have to lean on and it increases our faith.