In the Blink of an Eye

Tornado!

It’s a relatively common word for those of us who live in what is geographically called Tornado Alley. In fact, I cannot even recall the first time I heard the word tornado as a child. It’s just part of our vernacular and part of our lives. 

So, most of us know the seriousness of the word. We understand that within moments, seconds really, everything and everyone we know and love can be changed forever, even destroyed. Yes, we understand and warily respect the potential power of a tornado.

We watch the local weather station’s live coverage of each storm. For those who don’t know, when the storm category changes from “watch” to “warning,” our beloved meteorologist, Matt Laubhan stays on air round the clock until these storms dissipate and exit the viewing area.

There’s no telling how many lives Matt and his team have saved. And the whole time he is following and predicting the paths of storms, he is educating us and our children. We love and revere our weatherman; he is our greatest local hero.

The minute Matt issues his warning, we are all well-versed veterans at getting to our safe place, be it an actual, certified storm shelter, a home basement, or just the most interior spot in our homes. We gather mattresses, pillows, flashlights, phones, a radio, and needed meds – just in case.

As a schoolteacher, I comforted students as we hunkered down in the safest spot in our school, praying that God would cover us and spare us. Then, on the days we ended the school day early, I explained repeatedly to people outside the school why we try to get the students home before the storms hit. After all, one school destroyed in the path of a tornado could decimate an entire generation and impact every single family in our small community.

Over the years, I have seen tornadoes, small and large, whirling in the sky nearby. I have even watched in awe as the path of one tornado veered away from my property and my loved ones, leaving minimal damage in its wake.

We have all seen pictures and media footage of the devastation of tornadoes, and most of us have volunteered to help in the aftermath cleanup of these storms.

And those of us who are older often ride down any given road and remark on the obvious paths of past storms of epic proportions: “Remember the Smithville storm of 2011? That’s when all of those trees were sheared off.” or “The old community center used to be right there before that storm back in 2008. Now, that was a bad one, an EF5.”

No matter how easily we talk about past storms, we never seem to be able to put into words the loss of life. It just does not seem to compute in our heads. And it’s just not the same as losing a forest or a restaurant or even a church building.

We reverently leave those remembrances up to family members or friends. Because even though we all corporately share a history with tornadoes, a loss like that is personal and sacred. We can share the knowledge of such loss, but we have no clue of its depth.

Once again, this weekend, that loss became reality for so many families in our state. People from Rolling Fork, Mississippi, all the way across the state to Amory, Mississippi, lost homes, cars – and their lives. One of the families from nearby (a high school friend and her husband, in fact) lost their home as well as their grown son and a grandchild. Their son’s wife and two other grandchildren survived – barely. They are facing intensive surgeries and long-term recoveries. And all because of a weather phenomenon known as a tornado.

I cannot imagine their pain. None of us can, even though tornadoes have always been a part of our lives. Maybe I write all this because my words are the only tangible things that I have to offer my friend – other than my prayers.

Truth be told, my prayers are the only thing of worth I can offer.  So, would you please join me in praying for this family and the other people in our state who suffered such devastating loss?

And if you have the time and talents, would you prayerfully consider volunteering to work with Eight Days of Hope (8DOH) or other Christian relief agencies that rush to areas like Amory to help restore, rebuild, and minister to families in need?

For more information on how to volunteer, click the Rapid Response tab on the 8DOH website, or use this link: www.eightdaysofhope.com/event/rapid-response-amory-ms/.