Yesterday I woke up, had my coffee, had some alone time with God, and ate my breakfast (just three bowls of cereal..no big deal). Somewhere in between this time I got suddenly super dizzy and nauseous. I got my glass and went to the refrigerator and was only able to fill it halfway full before feeling like I may pass out. Luckily Reese was still asleep, or at least laying in bed, so I was able to do the same. The crazy dizziness subsided some so I went to get Reese out of bed and she had breakfast. When I'm feeling like this and I'm alone with Reese I see only one option. Word World or a Disney movie. So, I plopped down on the couch, turned on The Little Mermaid, which she showed very little interest in, and relaxed.
We had a photography session scheduled last night so instead of turning off the movie I decided to download a weather app on my phone to see what was going on. The weather looked great from my window. However, once I downloaded the app I quickly saw that there were tornado warnings everywhere. Tornadoes were touching down and one was quickly approaching our area. It said it would hit at 2:22 and it was 1:45. I jumped up, trying to summon some strength that I just wasn't feeling, and got our spot ready to go. I grabbed my laptop (for weather updates, pictures, and just because it would be hard to replace), my external hard drive (has all of my pictures and videos on it), my purse (with my wallet), and my Bible. I prayed that God would show me something in my house that I could fit in our guest bathroom that would give us protection. Immediately Reese's crib mattress came to mind so I ran up the stairs, grabbed her mattress, and chunked it down the stairs. I ended up wedging it between our door and the sink which worked perfectly. I told Reese it was our "tent" and she thought that was pretty great. I made sure that we had plenty of snacks because this child will eat continuously and I grabbed my old iPhone for Reese. That thing will keep her entertained longer than most things. I prayed and prayed. I prayed for protection for our family and friends. I prayed for protection over the metroplex and that God would send his angels to protect us. I continually prayed about how Jesus calmed the storms and that he could stop these. I prayed for a stronger faith to build inside of me and that these storms would cause others to draw near to Him, even those that have strayed far away.
I looked at my little girl and I felt little Berkley kicking inside of me like crazy. I started to cry as I heard different reports of the tornadoes and the destruction. A guy came on the TV and said how he was in the town where my Mom's school is located. He said where he was located and I knew that was only about a mile away from her location. He continued to confirm that one of the school's roofs had collapsed. I had been able to get ahold of my Mom that whole time and now when I tried to call...nothing. I started panicking as they showed the maps of the location because I knew exactly where they were and where the tornado hit. I eventually called her campus and found out all was well at her school, which provided great relief. However, during the waiting, I fell to my knees and prayed through tears. Life gets put into perspective SO quickly when things like this occur.
We are in the process of trying to sell our home and with this comes stress, lack of patience, and uncertainty. We wonder what the next year holds in store for us and we are continuing to take steps of faith. However, as all of this is happening, all of those thoughts get completely thrown aside. In that moment you know exactly what really matters. The things that matter are the things that you are clinging to in that moment. It really is a heart and soul check. When it really gets scary, what do you cling to? As I clung in desperation to the prayers I was saying, I was completely focused on the safety and salvation of others that were being hit by these tornadoes. I continually thought about my loved ones and I kept looking at Reese. So innocent, sweet, and completely oblivious to the storms that were swirling outside. You realize very quickly how we really do not control much of anything and how we need to continually rely on God, his word, and to seek his guidance in everything we do each day...even when things seem to be flowing smoothly. My prayers continue to go out to those who were effected by the storms and I thank the Lord that, as of right now, there have been no reports of anyone losing their life. That in itself is such a blessing, especially after you see some of the pictures of the destruction these storms produced. Praise be to God for his protection.
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