Scared?

"the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet." Nahum 1:3

Racing pulse....sweaty palms....reaching for pillows, quilts, flashlight...listening intently for any breaking news of when and where the storm is heading.....calling family and friends to ensure they are aware and prepared. This has been a scenario that we are all too familiar with lately.

Last night was one of those nights.

The Civil Defense alarm blared the warning, we quickly awoke the children and carried them to the hallway for a safer place to wait. Family pouring in through the garage, coming to find shelter with us.

It was 4:00 am.

I'm too tired for all this!, my body screamed....couldn't it hold off until after a good night's sleep? I reminisced the many, too numerous to count, times furious weather had been our small town's unwelcome visitor. I thought about the paralyzing fear that accompanied the radio's announcement. I was employed with the county at that time. Our courthouse had a large basement that we all ran too like frightened animals. That sinking feeling and overwhelming fear always made me sick! Since a little girl in grade school, I feared the dreaded word: tornado.

One day, during such a time, I was literally shaking while trying to issue a license plate to a very calm, assured customer. I'll never forget his comforting words that have, to this day, made all the difference for me during bad weather.

"I used to be scared to death of tornadoes. One day it just hit me, Jesus knows where I'm at and He's with me. I don't have to be afraid now."

I'd heard that so many times from family and friends....He is with us, it's OK. Don't worry. I can't explain why this time was different. But something in his kind voice reminded me that maybe the Lord sent him my way to release me of fear.

A little over two years ago, a similar storm hit our area. My premature twins lay in the Neonatal ICU 45 minutes away from our home. My husband warned me to leave the NICU at 4pm as he knew the strong tornadic storms were moving in! As I was leaving the room where they shared a tiny isolette, men were screwing quilts up into the windows. We had been told by the national weather forecast that this storm was certain to be severe. I opened the door to my vehicle, crying and asking God for peace and protection for my babies. Randomly opening His Word, my eyes fell to the verses in Psalms 121:4-5 "Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." Comfort and peace filled every nerve in my body. Soon after the storm made it's destructive path through our state, I discovered that a tornado had hit within a few miles of the hospital my boys were in. Thankfulness and trust became my new storm friends.

To this day, I'm very respectful of warnings, watches and weather announcements. I don't pretend to be bigger and better than a big, bad tornado! But I have a deep seeded assurance that He is bigger and better than any of those wild winds. Do I feel that nervous anxiety of the mysteriously unknown? Yeah. Am I paralyzed by it? Nope. I prepare and pray. I've found that some of the best family prayer meetings happen during those times. I can almost grin thinking about it, until I remember the power of God on my little 8 year old as he prayed against the storm. We talk about His awesome miracles as He stopped the storm on the sea of Galilee. We sing songs that bring peace and hope to our hearts. We feel the peace enough to even tell jokes and laugh with family. That overwhelming fear.....well, to me, it's worse than the storm itself. I can handle a few moments of nervous wonder.

Remembering last night, I can still see those sweet faces of my children gathered in the hallway with cousins, Memaw, Grandma, aunt and uncle talking, telling stories, laughing and praying together. Funny how much fun you can have during a tornado warning..although, at this posting, my living room looks like the aftermath of a destructive F-4 ;)