Something wicked this way comes

It's the middle of March and it's 70 degrees. The air is humid and eery. Weather men are predicting powerful storms tonight and the possibilty of long tracking, deadly tornadoes. As we sit outside, we can feel a type of energy in the air. It's ominous and makes me nervous. 

In 2021, an EF4 tornado hit downtown Newnan which is about 15 miles from our current house. Back then, it was less than 10 from where we lived and we stayed up all night praying as we huddled on the floor of our laundry room. That was one of the scariest nights of my life. 

After that huge tornado slammed into our city and decimated it, I told my husband we needed to be better prepared for the next weather event. I ordered some thick, sturdy bike helmets from Amazon. I bought a solar cell phone charger and gathered thick pillow and blankets. We came up with a plan. The next time tornadoes were predicted, we were going to be ready. 

I don't like living in "tornado alley," a wide swath of land that begins in Alabama and stretches across the western part of Georgia. While I've lived in this danger zone for most of my life, I'm looking forward to leaving it. In fact, on my next move, I'm planning on making sure I'm many miles away from it. 

Tornadoes have scared me since I was a child. When I first watched the Wizard of Oz, I realized how powerful they could be. Even though that was a fictional movie, at a tender young age, it scarred me for life. 

I've seen 2 tornadoes in real life. The 2
I've seen were from a safe distance and as I watched in awe, I never forgot how deadly and powerful they could be. The first one I saw was far off on the horizon as I was camping with my Girl Scout troop. The second one was dropping down from the sky as I had traveled to Carson Newman College to help pack up my little sister as she prepared to move. That one didn't touch ground but it was mesmerizing to watch it slowly form and dip down from the sky.

My mother in law told me about living through the 1936 tornado that basically obliterated downtown Gainesville. That storm left more than 200 dead, 1600 injured, and 2,000 homeless. It caused millions of dollars worth of damage. When I moved to Gainesville back in the mid 1980s, I'll never forget when one passed over our house. The sky went a nasty shade of green and the air felt alive. Thankfully, that one passed us by but I was so frightened. 

I guess the thing that scares me most about tornadoes is the time of day they hit. Often they come in the dark hours of night when you can't see them coming. I do have weather alerts set on my phone but when they're predicting this kind of weather, I rarely sleep a wink for fear of the unknown. 

Today as we've been watching the sky and feeling uneasy about the approaching storms, we prayed. We asked God to protect us from danger, to protect our home, keep our power on, keep the big trees all around is soundly in place, and to protect our friends and loved ones. As I type this, I look out my office windy and hear the wind blowing hard. Large oak trees sway in the breeze and the sky is mottled shades of gray. 

I can't help but think about Jesus when He was in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. That sea isn't really a sea. It's a huge lake. I've been there. While we were in Israel, on the day we were scheduled to tour the sea on a large, covered fishing boat, the lake became so rough the trip was postponed. At first we were sad. We really wanted to get out on the lake but as our bus passed around the lake, on our way to another tourist location, we watched the strong waves rolling on the sea. I was thankful we were able to see how powerful the wind whips across the water there. It helped me visualize what it might have been like when Jesus and the disciples were on the water. As a storm raged all around, Jesus slept contently in the back of the boat while the disciples panicked. I used to wonder, as the disciples did, how He would sleep so peacefully in the midst of such chaos but as I studied, I learned He was able to sleep because He knew He had the power to still the waves. I think He was giving an object lesson to His students - a valuable lesson in faith and trust. 

So, tonight as the storms gain momentum and night begins to fall, I'm going to do my best to remember Who controls the wind. Freaking out won't help me any. Yes, I'm prepared with all the necessary physical comforts and protection I can have, but I'm also steeling my heart with the reminder that God knows exactly where I am and His hand of protection is over me. Nothing will happen to me that He doesn't allow and that gives me great peace of mind. 

Tornadoes are powerful and dangerous. They're definitely not something to take lightly, but if we have faith in Jesus, we can rest assured that He's got us right in the palm of His mighty hand and He will be with us through anything. How do I know? Because He's said in His Word that He'll never leave or forsake us. And never is a very long time.

Something wicked this way comes

We're in for another round of stormy weather. Hopefully this one will pass without much damage. During the last round, on Tuesday, we were blessed to have only strong winds, heavy rain, and lots of thunder and lightning. 

This area is in the center of tornado alley and since we've lived here, we've only had a few come fairly close to our home. Two were minor storms. One was an EF4. Every time bad weather is expected, we pray asking God for a hedge of protection around our home. Some may think it silly to pray that way, but we know God cares about all things that pertain to us. We've seen over and over again His hand of protection shield us from danger. 

The beautiful Sea of Galilee

It seems the weather has grown more erratic over the past few years with more intense storms and temperature fluctuations. These are signs of the last days as spoken of in the Bible. But aren't we thankful, even in the midst of storms, God is present? He controls the wind and the waves. 

Sometimes I wonder how I would have reacted if I'd been in the boat with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee when the winds began to whip and the rain began to pour. Would I have freaked out as the disciples did as Jesus rested peacefully in the back of the boat? In my flesh, I imagine I would have. I'm sure as the boated rocked back and forth, the disciples were afraid the boat would fill with water or capsize. Naturally, they wondered how Jesus could sleep through all that, but He did! And He did because He had nothing to worry about. 

At times, I think Jesus allowed the storm to test the disciples' faith. Could He have purposefully planned it? I believe He could have. 

When Jesus was awakened by the disciples, as they exhibited their fear, He chides them on their lack of faith before speaking to the wind and telling it to be still. Instantly, as the storm stopped raging, the disciples were in awe. "Who is this, that the wind and the waves obey Him?" they asked each other. While they new Him as their friend, their rabbi, and their mentor, I wonder if they truly understood He was God in the flesh. That day, they probably got a huge wake up call. 

This was the type boat we sailed in on the sea. 

In 2018, when we were in Israel, our group was scheduled to spend a day on the Sea of Galilee. We'd booked a tour boat and were looking forward to the day our time on the sea came. We'd driven by the Sea of Galilee several times that week, before our scheduled boat ride. Each time we'd passed, the sea (which is actually a very large lake surrounded by mountainous terrain) was peaceful and calm. But one day, as we drove past on our way to our scheduled touring agenda, the sea was tumultuous. Our guide explained that storms in that area could be quite powerful and whip up suddenly. We were surprised to see whitecaps on the normally calm sea, but we were also thankful because it helped us understand the Scripture that talked about the disciples being in the boat with Jesus on that stormy day. 

Our boat ride had to be rescheduled as that storm raged. While we were sad that happened, we knew it was for the best. Thankfully, a few days later, we enjoyed the most peaceful and awe-inspiring trip across the sea. It was a highlight of our trip and one I'll never forget. 

Standing in the bow of the boat, I thought about Jesus. 

Sometimes, Jesus allows storms in our lives as teaching tools. I've faced many of those myself. Other times, He uses them to draw people closer to Himself. Today, as the storms move in, let's pray that those around us would be safe and also that they'd know God is always in control. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise. That should bring us great peace. 

I took this photo from the boat looking toward the mountains. 

Israel is a beautiful place. If you've never been, I hope one day you'll have the opportunity to go. I promise, it will change your life forever. Seeing the Bible come to life in front of your eyes is amazing. And, while there, you'll definitely have some Jesus encounters like I did. There were several places I could feel His presence so strongly I had to look around to make sure He wasn't standing right next to me. One of those places was on the Sea of Galilee, another was on the Gospel Trail. 

Jesus has promised never to leave or forsake us, so even if we can't feel Him near, He's there. Don't forget that! And as the stormy weather nears, know He's in complete control. Don't fear. Let your heart trust In Him.