On Tuesday, around 6:30 pm a really bad storm came through and created a lot of damage. I was on my way home around 5:45, when the national weather service came on the radio with an emergency weather announcement. They said that there was going to be high winds around 70 miles an hour with hail and lots of lightening and rain. When I got home, my husband had the news on and informed me that there was also a tornado warning. I didn't think much of it.
I have to be honest, living in New Jersey, I never really think to much about a tornado actually hitting us. We have had some pretty bad storms, including Hurricane Sandy that came through, but a tornado? I thought that this was just another thing that the weather forecast guy was going to get wrong.
I could see out the window and this big black cloud was slowly making its way toward us, but it wasn't anything that I hadn't seen before. We were getting a play by play on the news of exactly how many lightening strikes were touching down in all areas around us, and it was clear that this storm was coming right for us. The winds started to pick up ad I began to get a little more nervous. The sky was now completely dark, almost as if it were night. Then out of nowhere this thick sheet of rain moved in and you could not see anything in front of you. It happened so fast. The trees were bending like I had never seen before. Stuff was getting tossed all around outside. This was serious and I was really scared now. The lightening strikes looked like they were right outside our door and the claps of thunder were so loud they shook our house. Then the power went out!
For those of you who have experienced something like this, then I am sure you know the feeling. You see, when Hurricane Sandy came through where we live, I was actually on my honeymoon in Mexico. I heard all about it and saw a lot of the damage when I returned home, but I wasn't there to actually experience it first hand. This was my first time seeing a storm this bad.
After the storm finally passed and we were all able to calm ourselves, we went outside to see if there was any damage. At first glance, we were relieved to find that none of our trees had fallen and there was no damage to our cars or property. There was actually a beautiful rainbow complete from one side to the other, right out side our back door! It was beautiful and also a great reminder!
The next morning however, when I took Grey for a walk, I could not believe what I saw. There were trees, big trees, completely uprooted from the ground. Trees split in half and covering the entire street. Our neighbors fence was completely destroyed from part of a tree that broke off during the storm. Tons of road were blocked and so many were without power. I could not believe it. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and I am more than grateful that there was no damage to our house.
The take away from all of this is very real to me. We lost power for a day and a half. Not fun! Sometimes though, we don't realize how much we rely on certain things until we have to go without them. We are definitely spoiled as a nation and we need to start to learn living with less.
More importantly, I was able to learn something on a deeper level. I could not believe how easily and badly things were destroyed so close to where we were. There were huge trees that were completely uprooted from the ground because their roots did not grow deep enough. As a result, they caused much damage to the surrounding area, including the loss of power for days for many people.
It's a lot like that for me in my life when storms come through. If I am not completely rooted in God's promises and truths, many areas of my life are affected negatively. It is so important for me to read his word and communicate with Him on a daily basis, otherwise when times get tough, I fall a part much like those trees. My friends, family, attitude, and job are all affected and it's usually not in a good way. I want to be able to stand strong during the difficult times in my life. I want to see the beauty in God's promises and trust that He is control, just the like the promise of the rainbow He gave to us so long ago! I hope and pray that everyone who was affected by this storm is safe and will get their power back soon!
Many Blessings,