OUTDOOR TRUTHS: Calming the storm
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Over the years of traveling, I have stayed in so many homes and hotels. So many, I can’t remember them all. I do remember one stint in Texas where I stayed in five different places, over a 16-day period. Sometimes you wake up in the morning, and before you get out of bed, you have to think about where you are. There are also those times when you get up in the middle of the night, head to the bathroom, only to find out the door you opened didn’t lead to the bathroom, but to the hallway of the hotel. And now you know why I try to get fully awake in the morning, before I bust any moves that might expose my Hanes. Yes, it’s all different, except my storm. My storm is what I take with me everywhere I go. It puts me to sleep at night and wakes me up in the morning with its surety. My storm is the nature sound on my phone app. Some listen to brown or white noise, but mine is this soft thunderstorm. And why me of all people would be calmed by a thunderstorm, I have no idea. But I am. My wife started this habit years ago. Back then, it was a CD that she let play through the night. I also remember deer hunting with my friend Jason. At night he slept with a hair dryer running. True story. I know it was his wife’s because Jason was nearly bald. (love you, Jason) Some of you like a fan running. I like that too. There are a lot of sounds that people find comforting. But my go-to nighttime sound is my thunderstorm. And here’s what I’ve noticed. No matter where I am, most of the time, I sleep pretty well. And I believe it’s because no matter where I go, and no matter where I stay, I have something that is consistent, ever-present, and never changing. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this
While my storm is a soothing sound that helps me sleep, what my storm cannot do is calm the internal storms I may lay down with each night. The ones that race through my mind. The ones that can cause anxiety, worry, and dread. These storms crash louder than the ones on my app. Their realness drowns out the manufactured versions. And they can be just as frightening at home. The truth is our ability to sleep doesn’t come from what we hear from some created sound. It does, however, come from what we hear. When those internal storms have threatened my sleep at night, here is what I have listened to. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) My thunderstorm helps me fall asleep. God’s promised peace is what keeps me there.
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■ Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org.
