Storms

It has been an adrenaline fueled day here in Georgia.

I dropped my children off for school this morning with an awareness that our area was under a tornado watch. Rather than worry & fret, I tried to go about life as close to usual as possible. When we switched from tornado watch to warning I was downtown in a coffee shop with a dear friend.

In the midst of sharing our hearts about circumstantial storms in our lives, sirens alerted us to the presence of a physical storm bearing down on our area. With no radio or television in the shop, we turned to our phones for updates on how things were progressing. As I scanned my news feed it was filled with updates of where people were taking cover. Many were home, but some were in the gym, at doctors' offices, in school, even at Walmart--just doing life when suddenly the storm hit. Most lamented how they were either relieved or stressed by whether or not they had their family members with them.

I rejoiced that I was not home alone in my dark basement, but was instead in a seemingly safe place with friends who were much braver about severe weather than I am. It was a vivid reminder of how different a storm can feel depending on the company you are keeping in the midst of it. Even though I wished desperately I was with my family, I loved hearing my children recount their tales of the hour plus they spent in the 'safe place' at school. I thanked God for their trustworthy teachers.

Throughout the afternoon as I watched the Atlanta news I heard repeated requests that parents NOT try to come and get their children from their schools. The announcers reminded parents that safety plans were in place and had been rehearsed. It was time to trust the plan.

Because I am a metaphor loving gal, I couldn't resist drawing the inevitable comparison to the way we feel during the storms of life.

We were warned for at least 36 hours that severe storms were coming, but it still doesn't prepare you for the impact when they hit. In our fear and panic, we want to rush in and take action rather than trusting the Plan...especially when it comes to those we treasure.

People in nearby communities were hit hard, but our town was spared serious damage. We were left with a very flooded backyard...but there are far worse things. Especially when you have a little redneck in you. ;-)

The storm was quite frightening, but the aftermath was pretty enjoyable!

We can't always find obvious ways to rejoice in the storm, but I hope we try make the most of our circumstances as often as possible.