A Clear Path

It has been one month since the tornado hit and things look more different now than they did when I first came out of the closet after the storm. It is sometimes overwhelming to drive around the neighborhood and look at the devastation. At first there were a couple of flattened houses, but most of them were still upright even if they weren't on their foundation or had rooms missing. But now, the severely damaged homes have been bulldozed and loaded into dump trucks and carried away. All that is left is some fresh dirt and sometimes a driveway. There are more than twelve in our neighborhood. And that doesn't include the houses on Wilkinson for those of you who are familiar. The path of the tornado is very clear now. And even more clear is how narrowly we missed a major hit. I probably shouldn't, but I keep thinking about the barn and how there isn't one board left of it, and how it sits at a lower elevation than the house and what if that force had landed on our house with my boys inside, instead of the barn. I try real hard to not think about the what if's and focus on the miraculous outcome instead. I try to think about how my prayers for safety in the months before the storm were answered. I wonder if the storm really did miss us or if the guardian angels that I have prayed for really did stand in front of my doors with their wings spread out like a huge blanket, protecting us. I wonder why I put the boys down early for their naps, why they went down so easily that day, why I opened the blinds to work instead of turn on the light? Why on that day, seeing the lightning, did I happen to decide to check the weather? The list goes on and on. So many tiny details that assure me that God was truly watching over his children that day. And it is awesome to know that He is not finished with me yet. He has great plans for me and for my children and I just hope that I serve Him well as long as I'm here.