Stormy Weather

"Oh! It's going off again!" the cashier said with a worried look, "I was afraid of that!"

"What is going off?" I asked quizzically as we paid for our purchases, to which she responded, "The tornado warning siren!"

Just then I heard it! We had come to Stillwater for some shopping with our son (he wanted to buy me something for Mother's Day). We'd had lunch  and he'd made a quick stop at a music store, but now the rain was pelting down and the air was filled with the eerie whistles! Our trip would be cut short as we hurried to the car.

A mechanical, monotonous voice was blasting from the car radio with ominous warnings: Debris would be everywhere. People and animals outside would be injured. Roofs and houses would be destroyed.

Shortly after we got into the car, the phone rang with the report from our grandson, Adam (who had stayed home) that he had received a message from his college that all OSU students were to take cover!

Announcements were broadcast that school buses loaded with children were returning to schools. The bus-riders would shelter in place at their schools.

Then live reports from storm chasers pin-pointed the location of the almost certain tornado. It was near the small town of Perkins, only a few miles behind us! Thankfully Greg was driving! The reports were of expected baseball-size hail! I could just imagine it coming through the wide windshield of our van!

Tense prayers were going up from us for our safety. About halfway home, the rain slowed a bit, the weather reports were relaxed somewhat, and we breathed a collective sigh of relief! By the time we got home, though the street gutter vents were spewing out water like water spouts and rivulets ran down the road, we only dodged a few raindrops getting into the house!

Thank God, He is a shelter in the time of storm! Isaiah 25:4.  Today the sun is shining beautifully in a rain-washed sky as the grass and flowers sparkle with moisture from heaven. A glorious day!