This is Ryan. At some point before he came to us, he was in a scary storm. That’s all we can figure because this is what he does when it’s going to rain. When he can hear it, whether it’s rain, thunder, or wind, or something that sounds like one of those (like searing meat or the garbage truck), he hides and won’t come out until it’s over. I can’t hold Ryan when it’s stormy. He doesn’t feel safe. But if it’s going to storm, or just has, he becomes Velcro Kitty. (In his defense, he used to be afraid of the fireplace and the ceiling fan, too. He still regards the ceiling fan with some distrust, but he doesn’t run when it’s on.)

I get it. I used to be afraid of storms, too. I still dislike them when I’m camping, but when I have a sturdy building around me, I like them. Canvas? Not so much. Like Ryan, I’ve been in some scary storms while camping.

The last two years or so have been pretty stormy for everyone I think. I know I want to hunker down like Ryan and just wait it out sometimes. He has the luxury of doing that. The rest of us still have to go to work, cook, clean, and feed cats. But we also don’t have to be afraid. God is bigger than the storm. He gathers us in when we’re afraid, but only if we let Him.

I hope life is sunny for you today, and that the worst of the storms are over for a while.