She had to have been five – this little girl, stuck and alone in the storm. As the thunder roared and the lightening flashed, she sat still and held her knees close to her chest. She was paralyzed with fear. FLASH. CRACK. The lightning struck the ground right next to her.
She was afraid and alone….or so she thought.
Suddenly, there was a man with a gentle disposition and way about him that brought a feeling of comfort. He seemed sure of himself at a time that could make the bravest of hearts faint. “Why is he so confident? Doesn’t he see the scary lightning? Is he not afraid of rolling thunder? ” she thought. He reminded her of her dad.
He drew near to the girl and scooped her up in his arms. “At last, a savior! I thought this was the end”, said the little girl.
The notion of safety disappeared almost as quickly as it came. As if a cold blooded chameleon, the man shape shifted into a tall, hairy, hunch-backed beast. The beast grew bigger and bigger until the top of his head reached the clouds. Fear seized the girl once again, this time accompanied by a sense of confusion and betrayal. “How could the man turn into a beast? How could I have not known it?” she thought. She mustered all her energy to release herself from the grip of the beast and stepped away as he towered over her.
Then, from the clouds, came the form of a hand that grabbed the beast and swallowed him into the cloud.
The weather started to change. It was sunny.
The same hand that snatched the beast, surrounded her with warmth. The girl rejoiced, “Thank you! Thank you! You saved me from the beast!” The cloud took her up and she stood on it.
As she bounced up and down on the cloud, the beast was confined by it. She trampled him under her feet as she enjoyed the freedom of being safe at last. She began to dance with the help of the wind that balanced her. She had no concern for the great height because she trusted that He who saved her from the beast would take care of her, and He did.
