Nature Unleashed
Last night was rough for many people living in the southern US. Tornadoes ravaged Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, killing 55 people and injuring countless others. My prayers go out to those who lost loved ones and the others who are now faced with rebuilding their lives.
I’ve lived in Tornado Alley all of my life. You get used to it when you live here, but it’s not easy to watch people lose everything, especially when you know it could have been you standing there in front of a pile of rubble that used to be your home. Nature is so unpredictable; disasters like this are a not-so-subtle reminder that we are very small in this grand universe that God has created.
When I was a child, my family lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma (another Tornado prone area). In fact, I still remember the day my sister and I were sitting at the table eating when all of a sudden my mother sternly instructed us to take cover in the closet. Too young to fully understand what was happening, we reluctantly obeyed. Not long afterwards, she allowed us to leave the closet and go outside. Standing by our Pinto, we witnessed one of nature’s ultimate windstorms, a tornado. It had formed over our house and touched down about a mile away. I still remember it vividly. I was an amazing sight to behold. I was in awe until I realized that there were people we knew nearby who might be in the path of its destruction. Then, fear set in. Fortunately, none of our family or friends were hurt, but that day has been forever scored in my memory. It was the beginning of my fascination, awe, and fear of storms.
For many years, I was afraid of storms at night — worried that a tornado would come and destroy our house. As I grew older, though, that fear subsided. I wanted to know how storms worked, why tornadoes formed, and what caused lightening. In school, I loved the science classes that focused on the weather. I think I would have loved to be a meteorologist, but life didn’t lead me in that direction.
Still, even today, I’m fascinated by weather and storms. I love to sit and watch a great cloud formation. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of how small I am and how great God is. I don’t know. Regardless, it can still captivate me like nothing else.
I’m a sucker for reality shows, and lately I’ve been watching the Tornado chaser shows. Those people are insane, but I would totally love to be with them. It would be very cool to go along for the ride while they use the latest technology to understand the storm, predict where dangerous weather patterns will occur and then chase down the storm in hopes of catching a tornado. I think it would be neat to witness one again, but this time I’d like to see it in an unpopulated area, not in my home town.
Who knows…maybe one day I’ll do a ride along with the “Twister Sisters”. 🙂
