The loud roll of thunder woke me from a peaceful sleep. I knew my wife and I would soon be joined by a set of frightened little twins. We already heard their tiny feet running down the hallway. My own feet touched the floor just as the bedroom door flung open.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jimmy and Jinny shouted in perfect unison. Both of them rushed to my ready arms, Jimmy to my right side and Jinny to my left. I held them close and could feel their trembling.

"It's alright, kids." My voice was reassuring. "There's no need to be afraid."

Jimmy, the logical twin, justified his reason for being in my arms. "I know that, Daddy. We just thought you might want us to sleep in here tonight."

"Yeah, so Mommy wouldn't be scared," Jinny said, like a mother hen.

"Let them stay, George." My wife, Evelyn, was now awake. I knew the children were going to end up between us no matter what I said. So...

"Jump in, kids." Both of them were almost magically already between us. Another clap of thunder made my next instruction logical. "But only until the thunder is over. Okay?"

There was no agreement from child or mother, who would have let them stay anyway. So the four of us simply spent the next several minutes listening to the thunder play a wonderful symphony. After a particularly intense strike of lightning and its long, thunderous response the trembling of little bodies could once again be felt.

"It's alright, kids," I repeated. "It's only thunder."

"Daddy?" Jimmy asked. "What is thunder?"

I knew they were too young for the full scientific explanation of thunder so I told them exactly what my mother had said to me so many years ago.

"Thunder is just God's way of talking to us. Most people only hear the thunder but a few special people can hear what God is saying.*

My story was followed by a well-timed roll of thunder.

"See?" I asked. "Do you hear God talking to you?"

"I sure do," Jimmy said.

"That's wonderful, Jimmy." my wife replied. "That means you are one of God's special people."

"I heard what God said, too," Jinny said, not to be outdone.

"Wonderful! What did God say, Jinny?"

"It was the same thing He said to Jimmy."

"That's exactly how God would do it," I told them. My explanation about thunder had worked. Soon they would be back in their own beds eagerly listening to the thunder as God spoke to them. "What did God say to you, Jimmy?" I asked.

"God said we should sleep in here with you guys tonight."