Bruiser, our eight-year-old golden retriever, meandered around the yard on his usual morning patrol, sniffing his territory to make sure no critters invaded during the night. 


A strange sound made me glance over the rim of my coffee cup. Was that thunder? So early in the morning? Probably not.


From my vantage point at the kitchen table, I peered out the glass door. The sky had lightened with morning’s brightness. Not a dark cloud in sight. Perhaps the noise I heard was a train from the nearby tracks? 


The noise sounded again, this time more distinct and definitely thunder.


Bruiser bounded up the deck steps as rain dumped from the sky, his big brown eyes pleading for me to let him in. I did, and Bruiser raced by to hide in our shower, someplace dark and without windows. Terrified of thunder and lightning, he usually senses when a storm is nearby, but this one caught him by surprise. 


The storms of life sometimes sneak up on us. Catch us by surprise. Events like the death of a loved one, relational breakups, job loss, or financial difficulties.