by Marcie Bridges, @Marcie_Bridges
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
Psalm 57:1
Thunder rolled and lightning flashed as clouds formed funnels. Twin tornadoes emerged, whirling and twirling across the land right toward me.
My twelve year old mind could not understand, fathom, what was being played out in front of my eyes.
Stark terror enveloped me as the tornadoes roared around the pasture. Then suddenly they barreled in a circle and tore the roof off of a … what? What is that? A barn? A house? No, it looked like a steeple.
Trembling I stood up, tears flowing down my cheeks, watching as the steeple rose high into the air tumbling across the sky. The next instant I lay on the ground, hands covering my head, as the steeple dropped, exploding into a nuclear cloud.
I couldn’t breathe. I was paralyzed in fear.
Music began playing and I woke up (yes, it was a just a dream) to a cloudy day feeling deep within me something was eerily wrong. Later that same day my phone would ring with news sudden and unexpected.
Life had just exploded like that steeple.
Nailed to a tree for you and for me.
How can I ever be a life-giving fountain
Like the blood that He shed over eternity?
There in the midst of blood and water mingled
Tears shed that only come from love incomprehensible.
“Do you love Me?” the question pierces deep
Cutting veins too thick from years of hardening.
Bitterness had formed, blinded eyes can’t see
The wealth of love that could save if I give willingly.
Help the poor, feed the needy, share myself,
give forgiveness ― Heaven help me!
Take up my cross for others daily
This is love that breaks the soul freely.
His eyes find mine and I cannot look away
The pain that I feel is felt deeper in His veins
I lift my hands up to worship and praise
This is the place where healing begins today.
~Marcell Warner Bridges
©22 January 2017
All Rights Reserved.
Thank you for sharing your heart with us, dear Marcie. Hugs & prayers. My heart is also struggling with sadness concerning loved ones. I'm grabbing onto verses and holding them like ice-packs against the burn of worry in my heart. "May your unfailing love be my comfort… Psalm 119:76 NIV"
Blessings ~ Wendy xo
Thank you so much Wendy. I love that image of holding verses like ice-packs. You are such a blessing to me. 🙂
Oh, Marcie, it sounds like you are going through a very tough and upsetting stretch right now. I will hold you in prayer, my friend!
Oddly enough, as a young girl and even into young adulthood, I would have tornado nightmares. They scared the daylights out of me, I can tell you that!
Blessings and God's peace!
Yes, indeed it is upsetting but I know God will get my family through this. I've never had a tornado nightmare before. And interestingly enough, 2 days before this dream, I had a dream that I was in the mountains by myself and there was fire all around me. I had to wait to be rescued. Well, this situation definitely fits with those dreams. But God is my strength and my peace. Thank you 🙂
Marcie, this is powerful! Things DO come in sudden and destructive like a tornado. I'm so very thankful that nothing takes the Lord by surprise. He is El Roi, the God who sees me and knows all about it 🙂
God is our refuge and strength, our help in time of trouble. Thank you for such a wonderful of who our God is, Nan.