3:30 a.m. I should be sleeping. But I’m not. Adrenaline does that. It’s funny that way.
It’s tornado season in Texas. And we’d been under a warning all day long. Many other counties nearby had been hit, but our little county had been spared. Until about 2:45 a.m…
I awake to a slight noise. It’s my sweet little boy calling for me. I make it as far as the living room and pause, realizing that I don’t hear him anymore. Do I dare tread any farther? He may have gone back to sleep.
No, wait, that’s him again. He just needs to be tucked back in bed. Well, I’m fully awake now, I’ll stand here and rock him a few minutes first.
Goodnight sweetheart, I love you.
Tiptoeing back through the living room and passing the kitchen….did I lock the back door? Jiggle. Locked.
Now what’s that? The cat must’ve heard me jiggle the door. It wants in.
Come here kitty. Here kitty. Get. In. The. House. Kitty. It sits and meows and stares at me. The other one walks up and plops down in the middle of the porch and does the same. What’s up with you strange kitties tonight?
And then a wall of wind hits me. I raise my eyes to the horizon.
Lighting. Lots of it. Lots of wind, and a low rumble, too.
Wait – weird kitties, wind, rumbles… are we still under a tornado warning?
And then the power goes out. And then another wall of wind hits the house as thunder rips through the air.
And it’s, Pitch. Black.
Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez, oh geez.
Flashlight? No, candles, yes! Lighter, good. Candle. I can see. I can see. I’m okay. I’m okay…
But not with all the wind and rain and lightening and thunder. I should check… oh but the power’s out, can’t turn on the tv. The laptop is charged… but the modem needs power.
So how the heck am I supposed to check the weather?!?
Okay, I’m officially VERY worried.
This is not the time to wish I had a portable radio with batteries like I’m supposed to. Besides- which flippin station would I turn to? Who the heck is paying attention to my tiny little town at three o’clock in the morning?
Breathe.
Window. Nose to glass: God protect my home and my family and keep us safe. God protect my home and my family and keep us safe. God give me wisdom to know if I need to hide in the closet with the kids. God protect my home and my family and keep us safe…
Standing guard for my family at 3 a.m.
For 15 minutes. Praying and watching.
Watching the storm unfold, relaxing as it begins to pass, I’m finally able to sit on the edge of the bed and watch the rest of it while hubby sleeps peacefully through the whole thing.
Figures.
Thankfully the kids did, too. Never made a peep. Praise God.
Obsess much? Not me.
Except about my kids.
And tornadoes.
(Written at 3:30 in the morning while I waited to get sleepy again.)
THE NEXT DAY:
Our power was not restored until 11 a.m.
I learn that my neighbor took shelter when their weather radio started going off about a tornado on the ground.
I learn that a community farther down our county road has damage, presumably from a tornado.
I go to town and SEE that there is a considerable amount of damage not TWO MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE.
You see? A momma knows. Those gut feelings we get aren’t for naught.
There have been various other reports of damage all over town. So far, everyone I have talked to is safe, and I have not heard any reports of injuries.
PRAISE GOD.
and what about that conversation recently in which we talked about having a flashlight/batteries/radio handy? HMMMMM?? 😀
Thankfully you were safe. We had storms here too.
I’m so glad you and your family are okay! I’m in North Texas (for some reason, I assume you are from this area too…I may be crazy though) and our little suburban town of Euless got hammered pretty well – no tornado here though.
I praise God for the way He works in us, through us and around us!
~Amanda Jo
Ive been hearing about this on the news! So glad you’re safe!
Wow, I just found your blog…or is it a website..or page. Can’t be a my space because I don’t have an account. Can you tell Im a computer illiterate? Any how, I am praising God for keeping you all safe! It just proves that no matter how worried we mommies get, no matter how much we are prepared or unprepared and no matter how deep our husbands sleep, God is in control, praise be the name of the LORD. On another note Ive been completely blown away by all of the identity protection on this blog. Let’s just say my… Read more »
Wow. That’s scary and neat. Scary because of how close you really were, but neat to see how the Lord protected you (and allowed you to see it!). And I agree….a mama knows!
Mom- I did know where the flashlight was – it’s in the cabinet over the dryer – but that’s quite a mess at the moment,…and it was REAL DARK. It was easier to find my long-handled lighter, which was stuck in my pampered chef tool turnabout by the stove. Plus, light a candle and the whole room is lit up. As for the radio… perhaps THAT’s what you should get me for Mother’s Day! 😉 Katie – We can barely hear the sirens at our house. When they test them each month, I only notice them if the tv is… Read more »
All I can say is Praise God! He heard your prayers!
Sherry
Ahhh, so scarry! I am so thankful God protected you!! That was so close to your house! I get so scared in tornados too. I awoke to the storm here around 3:30am…the thunder was SO loud, and the lightening seemed to keep the sky constantly lit up. I laid in my bed wide-eyed listening for the tornado sirens until the storm calmed down. The sirens usually go off here if there is a tornado anywhere near us…although I know that isn’t the best method to rely on! We did wake to find our trash cans were blown across the street… Read more »
Wow! I’m glad you are all safe! Mama’s do know!
I’m so thankful that you are all okay. Praise God! Maybe put a weather radio on your next shopping list. 🙂
spent many nights with my nose pressed to the window praying, whether it was the actual window or the window into what I feared….. Praise God that He is faithful and strengthens us to withstand the storms with Him.
Oh THIS storm!! I remember reading this post, but didn’t put it together with the pictures. EEK! I’ll take our piddly earthquakes and once-every-10-years ice storms, thankyouverymuch! How scary!
[…] (A tribute to tornado season, here once again! The original tornado of 2008 story can be found here.) […]