Jesus Calms the Storm

I found all of my old blog entries that I thought I had lost so I will be posting them a few at a time to add a little flavor and some past experiences to this blog.  The following story is true.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:39-40

Amid the stories of tragedy and despair regarding the tornadoes of April 27, 2011, I would like to share a different kind of story - a story, well, nothing short of a miracle. This is a story of one who lost nothing and gained everything.

My anatomy lab final was scheduled to fall right in the midst of the Tuscaloosa tornado. I checked my email at least 20 times that afternoon, hoping for some form of notification about lab. Honestly, I had my fingers crossed that lab wouldn't be cancelled. Nerdy, I know. But I knew the lab material (or memorized it), and I didn't want to re-study everything.

A notification didn't come, not before I had to leave for lab anyways. My parking permit requires me to park in the farthest possible lot from campus. Since the weather was threatening, my parents told me to ignore the restrictions on parking and park as close to my class as possible. Did I listen? No. Looking back, I'm not sure if my disobedience was more to save my parents the expense of a parking ticket or if I simply didn't believe a tornado would really come.

By the time I made it to the bus stop (a parking lot's distance from my car), I began to regret my disobedience. The sky was a shade of gray I'd never seen, and the wind was strong enough to knock me over. I debated walking back to my car, but the bus arrived. The bus dropped me off right in front of the lab building. I made my trek to the second floor, secretly glad I hadn't added a parking ticket to my parents bills.

The lab TA arrived early, allowing those of us in the hallway to begin the test. I hadn't answered many questions when the building's alarms sounded. All students in the building were required to sit against the wall on the first floor. Students began complaining and crying. A worker brought out a radio, shouted that a death had been accounted for, and the crying grew worse.

After a while, students were given the choice to leave. There was an hour break in the tornadoes. A girl from my lab, who I'd never spoken to until that day, asked if I could give her a ride to her apartment. I nervously agreed. We walked at a near sprint, backpacks beating us in the spine with every step. The time was ticking.

Somehow, a group of people in a car recognized the girl from my lab. They offered us a ride to my car. I felt relieved, knowing we'd shaved off several minutes. We flung our belongings into my car and raced in the direction of her apartment (the opposite direction as mine). By this point, I'd determined that I wasn't going to make it home before the next tornado hit, but if I could get the girl from lab home, that would have to be good enough.

When we neared her apartments, she offered to walk a little to give me a little extra time. I set off toward my apartment, praying twenty minutes was ample time to get me home. If I'm being honest, I was more worried about my three-year-old West Highland Terrier than myself. If the next tornado was to hit my apartment, I wanted to be there with him.

I took a different route to my apartment than usual. The routes I knew were blocked with fallen trees. At a church I'd never seen in my life, I was told to get out of my car and walk. Shakily, I pulled the key out of the ignition and grabbed my phone. So many people were texting me that my inbox was overflowing. My battery was blinking. I looked up from my phone to something I hadn't noticed at first - complete and total destruction. I recognized nothing. I recognized no one. Climbing over rubble, fallen power lines, and tree branches, I heard a man shout, "Fifteen minutes until the next one hits. Find shelter immediately."

To my left, an elderly couple was bawling, arm-in-arm. I'll never forget the look on their faces. A herd of people rushed by me, making their way to the church. Their homes were gone. Their possessions lost.

"Jesus calms the stom. Jesus calms the storm. Jesus calms the storm." That was all I could think - all I could remember. I'd read that verse the previous night. I knew it was true, but like the disciples, I was still afraid - so afraid. It didn't seem possible for me to survive the situation. The next tornado was due in less than ten minutes, following the same path, and all around me was rubble. I sent out a few texts, hoping the people in my life would realize just how much they meant to me. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to say goodbye. Before the last of the messages could send, my phone went black.

Just then, I looked up and saw four college students. They told me to join them. Their house was down the road, and it was one of few that remained standing. I didn't know the four, but when one of the girls told me her name was Caroline (the name of my best friend who was killed in a car accident two years ago), I knew it was safe to follow. I knew God had provided me with a way. I entered their house, and Jesus did exactly what he promised he could do. He calmed the storm. The next round of tornadoes never came. I sat in the company of complete strangers completely awed by the power of my God.

That night, around midnight, I made it back to my apartment. It was a miracle I made it home alive. Not only was there the danger of the tornado looming over me, but also the danger of being a girl alone on the streets at night. God was watching over me. I came out of the tornado unscratched, but changed. I don't follow some ordinary God. I follow the God who heals the blind, who moves mountains and who calms the storm.

Three times in my life I have prayed that God would break my heart for what breaks His. Three times He has answered my prayer. In every broken heart, He has drawn me closer to Him. Through the heart breaks, I have gained an intimate relationship with Him. If it takes brokenness, to bring me in line with His will then it is brokenness I must take.

I lost nothing in the tornado but selfishness and pride. What did I gain? I got a glimpse into God's mighty power. I learned what it means for His people to come together in love and spirit. I learned what it means for Him to be the only constant in this everchanging life.

My heart goes out to those who lost their homes and loved ones. I pray that everyone affected by the tornadoes sees the power of God in the circumstances, never giving up hope for all things truly do work for the good of those who love Him.