Become as a little child.

One night, when I was 7 years old, I laid in my bed unable to sleep. I was really scared and I felt particularly lonely, because Caroline, who shared a room with me, was fast asleep and quite unaware of the thunderstorm outside. Every now and then the lightning would light up my entire bedroom, but other than that, the whole world as it seemed to me was pitch black. The thunder was loud and relentless. I vividly remember comparing it to a lion - roaring louder and louder with every breath. I could hear the screen rattling with the wind and the raindrops hitting hard against the window. All I wanted was to fall asleep, but I couldn't calm my poor little heart.

Then I had a thought. Emily? Say a prayer.

So I climbed out of bed, and I knelt at the very end of Caroline's bed, so I wouldn't wake her up, and I asked God to make the storm stop. The second I said amen, I crawled as quickly as my little, 7 year old self could go under my covers and put my pillow over my head to block out the sound. My curiosity got the better of me, though, and I slowly pulled the pillow away from my ears, only to find pure silence. I was asleep moments later.

Since that night, I've have many times where I've figuratively pulled the pillow away from my ears only to find brighter lightning and louder thunder, harsher wind and fiercer rain. But I do not doubt the Lord - not His ways nor His timing - because He answered the desperate, whispered prayer of a scared, innocent, little, 7 year old girl - who to the world may have seemed foolish to ask for such a miracle - and He calmed her storm.

God hears. God answers. God blesses. Every single time.