Home's Cool with One

strong winds can stir things up!!

The winds of change can sometimes blow pretty hard...

Last night we held a graduation party for my son, who will also be 19 in a few weeks. Just as we were making the final preparations before the guests arrived, a storm began to roll in. We went out to look at the clouds, you see we live out in the country and we can see the storms forming way off in the distance, it is pretty cool... I've often thought about becoming a weather spotter...

As we walked past the large cedar tress that line our property we saw something amazing, a cloud with a large hook like cloud hanging down, almost touching the ground within 1/8 mile of our home. The elbow of this cloud began to spin and I knew we were in trouble...

I quickly told everyone to run into the house and down to the basement, I looked at a friend and suggested he move his van from beneath the apple tree, which he promplty did, thankfully... for within 30 seconds of him pulling his van away, the tree came crashing down! Right where he was parked!! My son had just moved his car only 1/2 hour before. That was a little too close for comfort!!

As everyone was scrambling to get inside, we were yelling for my husband, but he was no where to be found. The wind was roaring now and the rain coming down so hard it hurt. My son was being battered by large branches being ripped from trees, trying to find my husband, I begged him to come inside, and with the voice of a man, no longer a boy, he commanded me to seek shelter inside.

From inside the basement we could not see anything through the windows except a swirl of white flying sideways by the small windows, I am not sure if it was a tornado or straightline winds, but it was frightening for the few guests who had arrived early to help with setting things up...  

The storm was raging outside, all we could hear was the sound of the rain beating upon the house as if it were trying to get in and then the phone rang.

It was my son's girlfriends mom, letting me know they would be late. Her husband had just been called out to fight a fire. Seems there had been an explosion at a mechanics shop in the town they live in and the house next to the shop had caught fire as well... the thought of the rapture flashed for a second...

I tried to keep her calm, being far away from her daughter who was with us, waiting for my husband and son to come back in from this horrific storm and her own husband off to fight a dangerous blaze. I had her in one ear (on the phone) and everyone else in the other ear... I was trying to keep everyone calm...

Thankfully our basement is pretty big and the kids were engaged in watching a DVD and were oblivious to all that was going on... I reminded everyone that we are protected by He, whom is bigger than anything this world can bring... I encouraged everyone to pray for my son and my husband to remain safe while trying to get back into the house...

It seemed like time was standing still while we waited for them to return, yet in reality,  it was only a few minutes. My son found my husband, he was on the south side of the house securing the tables and chairs on our big wrap-around covered porch. He had not seen the cloud, nor did he have an idea of the imminent danger we were facing, he was sheltered, and the wind was so strong,  he could not hear us yelling for him to come in. From his vantage point, it was a only a downpour and the tables were getting soaked.

By the time they made it in, they were soaking wet, but they were ok.

An hour later, the guests arrived, the party was moved indoors and it was a wonderful agthering. Later that evening we got the call that the fire was successfully put down and there were no injuries.

We are truly blessed by the outpouring of love and support for my son, and also that we weathered this storm; and the guests were able to share in a moment to wish my son well as he steps onto the next page of his journey here on earth.

Oh Lord, that you would have us lean on you in times of fear, it is in those moments of uncertainty that we need to be reminded of your sovereign power to control everything on earth and in Heaven. Thank you for keeping us all safe and that the damage done was minimal and there was no loss of property. Lord, place your hand upon my son as he ventures off into the world as a man. For he has become a man. Surround him with people of good character, with those that hunger for you, oh Lord! Bless him, Adenai, more than he can think or imagine... I ask all this in your precious Son's name AMEN!