We didn't plan on the tornado that ripped through our neighborhood the afternoon before Brandon was supposed to leave. Being from MI, we are much more used to blizzards than tornados. This was quite the experience, and seeing the devastation in its wake still catches my breath. God was beyond gracious to us. We had one large tree down in our back yard which caused some property damage, our yard was strewn with debris, our grill and swing were tipped over and bent up a bit, but our home untouched. Each of us were unharmed, perfectly safe (even if the kids were a bit traumatized from hiding in the tub and listening to the "freight train" go by.) Out of 800 or so homes in our neighborhood, over half were damaged or destroyed completely. Trees were uprooted or snapped in half. Power lines were (and still are in some spots) snapped and frayed, with the poles down or cracked in two. It's amazing what a powerful storm like that can do in just minutes. The first time we walked around surveying the damage, Ellie repeated several times, "Mommy, this breaks my heart." Indeed.
Needless to say, Brandon didn't make it out the next morning. It took several days before we were able to easily move around the neighborhood due to the downed trees and debris cluttering the roadways. We were without power nearly a week, and some of our neighbors still haven't had power restored. The past couple of weeks have been a neat time for us to meet new friends in our neighborhood, to offer a helping hand as much as we can, and to try to find ways to practically meet the needs of so many who were affected so much more deeply than we were.
It's also been a time to count our blessings. We are so thankful for the Lord's protective hand upon our lives and our home. We have had several conversations with the kids about His gracious protection in our lives, and as they've walked around seeing what could have so easily been us, they've been moved to thankfulness, too. In fact, while I wouldn't have chosen to have such a tragedy happen here, I will say things like this help to bring perspective on what really matters in life and how dependent we are on the mercies of God for each day.
So nowadays, things like going and picking strawberries as a family or being able to switch on a light in the evening instead of fumble about in the dark seem like quite a blessing.
The day after the tornado hit, I "happened" to read Proverbs 16:1 in my quiet time: The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. What a great reminder that none of this surprised our Father, that He is working and moving despite our inability to understand the reasoning behind His plans. God is good all the time.
Thank you all for your prayers for us and especially for our neighbors who have lost so much.
Sending love.
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