September 11, 2013, was an unusually warm day here in the Maritimes. It was quite hot and the humidity was very high. All day we had thunderstorm watches and warnings in place for the evening. I was busy working away in the kitchen at New Brunswick Bible Institute not paying much attention to the weather. After an early supper the students were preparing to set out to the ball fields to start our season of softball. Steve and I were getting ready to head home as well. The sky was looking dark, but there was optimism that we could get a couple innings in. But wait! Mr. Caron, who is an expert weather tracker, came running over to say we were now under a tornado warning. I happened to walk outside at this most enlightening moment and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. A warning like this does not happen often in New Brunswick. I must take this moment to express my great dislike of storms and my even greater fear of the word tornado. I have never actually gone through a tornado, but I have watched movies and seen the devastating results in the news and I also have a very over-active imagination. When something is that powerful, I don’t ever want to meet it! So, at this point, I am jumping in the van to get home. Steve decided he did not want to come with me, he was going to go storm chasing with Mr. Crazy (I mean Caron). Don’t panic! There are students all around you, show them you are brave. Don’t let them see you burning holes in your husband right now with the anger and fear look radiating from your eyes. You see, my husband knows my intense fear of storms and this particular warning. Any loving, considerate husband would want to comfort their wife and still her fears. Nope! I was going to have to brave this one alone. “Have fun!” I said with a weak smile and tore off down the road. The whole 8 minute ride home, while watching the lightening strike, flash, and dance, I repeatedly told myself, “you are fine, just breathe.” I also took that time to inform the Lord that I was going to need some help with my nerves. Maybe He could just blow the storm over a few hundred miles or so.
Upon arriving home I lifted the hatch to the crawl space. Thankfully, our crawl space is a poured foundation and is dry and liveable. I had never gone down in a storm yet. I always said I would have to be really desperate as I didn’t want to sit down there in the dark (if the power went out) knowing there were eight-legged critters wondering around down there. Two other fears I have – spiders and darkness. I got a flashlight and set it on the table just in case the power went out and proceeded to find things to preoccupy my mind. It was quite dark outside, the thunder and lightening were creating quite the symphony, but it was eerily calm. Steve called to inform me he was just up the road on the top of the hill. The storm was going to be a good storm, but not to worry they could see everything. Um, excuse me, THIS IS NOT HELPING! Did he really think that phone call would reassure me? Last I checked he was not a weather man or God. Just because he could see it coming did not mean he knew how it was going to change. Thanks, but no thanks! Then the hail started – just little at first and then they grew bigger. At this point I couldn’t think of any jobs I wanted to do. I was pacing from the front window of our house to the back window. Suddenly, out of nowhere…well, out of the sky…came the rain accompanied by this extreme wind and this low rumble sound that just didn’t sound right. The neighbours garbage can came flying across the road towards our house and the trees were bending right over. Panic!! Run!! I grabbed a heavy blanket, my flashlight, the phone and my Bible. I ran towards the crawl space entrance. Wait, Toto! Where’s Toto? I then remember we don’t own a dog. I quickly get down the ladder and make my way to the open space. Checking for unwanted guests, I spread my blanket and sit down frantically thinking of what I am to do. The storm was howling and the hail still pelted against the house like an angry mob of rioters. I didn’t know if my husband was still at the top of the hill or being sucked up in a funnel cloud that would deposit him in Tuktoyaktuk. The worse part was I left my ruby red shoes upstairs. With hands shaking I opened up my Bible and turned to the book of Psalms. Because I knew a day like this would come, I have highlighted many verses on fear. I just started reading all the passages I could think of and had highlighted on fear. I had no idea what was going on outside, but with the completion of each verse read I became to breathe more normal and my fear and anxiousness seemed to subside. After what seemed like and eternity, it became very quiet. Was the storm over or was just the calm before the WHOOSH? I slowly made my way upstairs expecting to see a bunch of little people and a yellow-bricked road. Praise God! The house was still standing and nothing seemed out of place. Our patio furniture hadn’t moved and inch and the BBQ cover was still firmly in place (it has blown off on a windy summer day). Just down the road there were trees down and BBQ’s had taken flight. There was severe damage across town at the Bible school too. It was as if there was a dome or a force field over our street. When Steve called it was a great relief – he was still in Hartland. Even he was a little nervous being out it in and experiencing the sheer force and power of the weather. After recalling our experiences, he apologized for not being with me. As scary as it was, it was a great experience. I wasn’t alone during that storm, I was with Jesus in the basement. We were sitting on the blanket together. Yes, this was another ‘God-thing.’ The only Person that is truly going to be with me and give me the peace I need is the Lord. Even though the storm raged about on the outside, there was peace on the inside. He is all-powerful, yet He cares enough to sit with me and speak words of comfort. His love never fails.
