Read

Watch

This Time-Lapse Thunderstorm Video Will Leave You Shook

Published:
December 12, 2023
July 28, 2021
Watch this thunderstorm time-lapse video that left us in wonder and awe.|Watch this thunderstorm time-lapse video that left us in wonder and awe.

There’s something about a window-rattling thunderstorm that captivates us.

Most of us can recall what it was like to be a kid and watch a big storm roll in. The flashes of lightning, the rumbling thunder, the pelting rain. It made us feel small and powerless. It inspired feelings of fear and awe. It still does.

Maybe that’s why we found this “Shadows in the Sky” video compilation of thunderstorms to be strangely compelling. Photographer Mike Oblinsky captured gorgeous time-lapse images of storms rolling in and set the video to haunting music. Expand to full-screen and unmute for this five-minute tour through nature’s raw power, and you’ll be overwhelmed with wonder.

In the Old Testament, God often appears in cloud and thunder — this video makes clear why our ancestors used that image:

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar,
and he brings up clouds from the end of the earth,
makes lightning flash in the rain,
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

It’s easy to go through our summer enjoying the warm weather, soaking in the sun, and relaxing. Most of the time, we get to shape our lives however we want. If it’s too hot outside, we turn on the A/C or go see a movie. Even checking our Dark Sky app gives us a sense of control over what the weather will be like tomorrow.

A good thunderstorm shakes us out of that false sense of control — it puts us in our place. And it’s a good thing to remember that we are creatures under the providence of a loving — but powerful — Creator. The sense of wonder that tiptoes right up to the edge of fear is healthy for us. Reveling in it can even become a prayer.

Shadows In TheSky (8K, 4K) from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.

Creators:
Grotto Shares
Published:
December 12, 2023
July 28, 2021
On a related note...
Why I'm Catholic: It's a Force for Good

Why I'm Catholic: It's a Force for Good

Grotto

A Taste of Home: A Grotto Short Film

A Taste of Home: A Grotto Short Film

Grotto

Why You Should Know the Work of Henri Nouwen

Why You Should Know the Work of Henri Nouwen

Patty Breen

Happy Easter from Grotto

Happy Easter from Grotto

Grotto

Filmmaker with Cerebral Palsy Explores the World

Filmmaker with Cerebral Palsy Explores the World

Grotto

"How To Stay Friends With an Ex"

"How To Stay Friends With an Ex"

Sophie Caldecott

First Day of Spring Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

First Day of Spring Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Why Gardening is Good for the Soul

Why Gardening is Good for the Soul

Sarah Coffey

Good & Decent: Love & Ice Cream

Good & Decent: Love & Ice Cream

Grotto

St. Katharine Drexel Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Katharine Drexel Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Empowering Women to Tell Their Own Story

Empowering Women to Tell Their Own Story

Grotto

The Nonprofit That is Rewilding America’s Prairie

The Nonprofit That is Rewilding America’s Prairie

Grace Spiewak

Shelter For Pregnant Women Changes Perspective of Volunteer | Little Ways: Care

Shelter For Pregnant Women Changes Perspective of Volunteer | Little Ways: Care

Grotto

An Inside Look at Teaching Service Programs

An Inside Look at Teaching Service Programs

Mary Cunningham

A Sustainable Snack: Roasted Crickets

A Sustainable Snack: Roasted Crickets

Grotto

CRS Rice Bowl Program Has a Global Impact

CRS Rice Bowl Program Has a Global Impact

Grotto

10 Charities That Need Your Online Advocacy

10 Charities That Need Your Online Advocacy

Maria Walley

A Virtual Wake for the Father and Daughter in the Rio Grande

A Virtual Wake for the Father and Daughter in the Rio Grande

Josh Noem

Share Your Thoughts Directly with Pope Francis | #TellItToFrancis

Share Your Thoughts Directly with Pope Francis | #TellItToFrancis

Grotto

I'm 25 and Nearly Broke — Does Tithing Apply to Me?

I'm 25 and Nearly Broke — Does Tithing Apply to Me?

Andrew Mentock

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.