Night of the Twister

When our first two girls were 10 and 8, and I was 5 and a half months pregnant with Erin we had an extraordinary experience.  The sky looked stormy so we all went to get groceries together.  While we were there a tornado hit the grocery store.  It destroyed our car too, but we weren't harmed physically, just terrified.  Our house was just one block away from the damage of the twister.  We didn't know if we had a home to go to, but our sweet neighbor walked to the store to tell us our home was fine.  He had seen us at the store as he was leaving.  What a blessing from the Lord.  We had to wait in the basement while they cleared a path for us and turned off the gas to make it safe for us to leave.  While we were walking home through the depris the storm siriens went off again.  It was scarry, but we made it home safe.  We wouldn't have been able to drive home even if we still had a car.  There were trees and wires and debris strewn all over the roads.  A neighborhood church was completely gone--nothing but the foundation was left; it was two blocks from our house.  I was terrified of tornados for years and years before this happened.  After this experience I realized that God protected us because it was not our time to go, and I had not been trusting Him.  Had we been harmed, or killed I know it would have been our time to go, and God would have given us the grace to handle it.  The point I'm trying to make is:  now I'm no longer terrified of storms.  I highly respect them and get to safety, but I'm not terrified, because I'm trusting  Him no matter the outcome.  Our girls might have had a different experience though--I'm not sure, I just know they are a little more nervous about them than I am now.  We each have our own journey with God.

When Erin was still at home she bought some purple material to make a quilt, but never got around to it, so for her birthday one year, I made this quilt for her from her fabrics.  I named it "Night of the Twister".  That's better than naming her "Stormy", don't you think?

Speaking of Erin, I have a little story to tell you.  When she was small I was trying to teach her how to be still and be quiet in the church services.  One Sunday evening at church she was really having a hard time doing that, so I asked her if she wanted me to take her out and spank her.  A few minutes later she tugged on my clothes and said, "Momma, take me out and spank me".  She was serious!!  I was so stupified that we just sat there.  I think she thought a spanking would be less painful than sitting still.  Now we tease her alot about that.  When I'm having a bad day, I say, "just take me out and spank me".