The little reed,
bending to the force of the wind,
soon stood upright again
when the storm had passed over.
~Aesop
What was that? Did you see it? There it was again! Late in the day yesterday lightning began flashing high in the eastern sky. Soon we heard distant thunder grumbling west of us as the heavens grew ominously darker and darker. Overhead cold northerly air was colliding with warm southerly currents, and with that always comes the potential for dangerous storms and high winds that spawn tornados. Even the birds who are normally chattering and feeding at that time of day were becoming silent or absent from the yard. The cat inside as well sensed a mounting threat and anxiously headed for shelter under the bed. Before long the winds began picking up, heavy rain started to fall, the lights inside flickered off and on and off, and we scrambled to find candles. And then, wham bam, all hell broke loose! Winds in excess of 70 mph blasted the yard and pushed forcefully against the house testing the fortitude and flexibility of the mightiest of trees and the sturdiest of structures. At first all we could do was stand there staring out the window almost in disbelief at what we were witnessing, but when the warning siren went off, we headed for shelter in the hallway. So it goes sometimes in the spring here in Texas; the usual peaceful hush of twilight evolves into the worrisome madness of turbulent extremes. Fortunately this time around the tornado that was seen about 5 minutes from our house did not touch the ground, the winds that huffed and puffed did not blow our house down, the rains that rushed in brutal, sideways torrents did not wash us away, the power was only off until the next day around 10 AM and then again around 5 for a couple of hours instead of days on end as it has before, and it didn’t take us but about half a day to clear away all the leafy, twiggy, and branchy downed debris. As for all the rose petals that were blown off before their time, they laid a lovely, colorful layer over patches of the green grass. So thank you Lord for these and all your tender mercies.
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. ~Psalm 25:4-6 ✝
**To all my readers: because of the storm and our subsequent power outages, I’m way behind now on reading yours posts and answering comments and/or emails.
Sacred Touches 
Glad you stayed safe!
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Thanks, me too! It was a scary few minutes for sure! 🙂 ❤
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We had a horrible Earth Quake yesterday accompanied by thunderstorms and lightening and heavy rain. We were evacuated from our building but thank God there was no damage and we are safe. To me it felt like Ragnarok! (The Norwegian doomsday) but thank God it wasn’t. But it gave me the scare of a lifetime!
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Oh, I was beginning to think we were witnessing the end of the world too, Trini. And that kind of thing is very frigtening indeed. I’m so glad you are okay. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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Yes, it is frightening! I so know what you mean. I don’t like feeling that I am not safe and that the earth is being aggressive. Fear and aggression are such opposites to Love.
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Oh I feel your worry—that was us last week with the funnel cloud 5 miles away—and it too hovered, threatening but never touched down.
It stormed this morning but the worst of the system had lost some of its punch once it made it’s way into Georgia by this evening —
It is the bane of life in the South—yet nowhere in the country seems immune to Spring’s fickled ways—I’m glad that your only loss were the petals!!
Here’s to sunny calm skies!!!
hugs and love—cookie
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Oh I’m so glad the tornado didn’t touch down there. Those things scare the heck of me. I’ve never been in one and I’d sure like to keep it that way. They’ve been popping up all over north Texas again, but so far none have threatened us here in Fort Worth. Indeed, here’s to the lovely and sunny calm skies. I love the rain we’ve been getting but I can do without these scary storms and high winds. I pray you all stay safe there. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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So wonderful Natalie! I love the air after a storm.
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Me too, Nico, but I sure don’t like these damaging high winds and threats of tornados. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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Very beautiful!
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Thank you. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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You have well described the storms here in the Panhandle too. I am so glad you are safe and the family has suffered little to no real damage. With God’s love all plants and trees will once again renew and go on just as we have to no matter the damages suffered. Love you and stay safe during this year’s storm season. Soon we will see the calm skies once again. Love, V
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Thanks, V. As many times as I’ve been through these threats, I should be able to describe them well. James has often talked about the tornados up there and how they used to chase them. Thank you for your concern and well wishes. I pray that you remain safe during this year’s storm season too. It looks like it’s getting cranked up a bit early and will be a bad one, but then
we haven’t had too much of this the last several years. Here’s to the calm skies! Hugs, Natalie 🙂 ❤
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What a beautiful post. We get some great storms down here in SW Florida, but the season hasn’t begun yet. Hopefully the hurricanes will stay away this year (we took a direct hit from Hurricane Charley and that was enough for me) Be safe sweet friend and I hope your power starts behaving again!! 🙂
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Oh, I’ll bet you do Mary. My sister was living down there when a hurricane hit and my daughter was at LSU when one blew in down there. And actually years and years ago, when a hurricane blew in through Galveston and Houston, 90 mph winds from it blew in up here as well. I’d never seen anything like the damage it did. We were living in an apartment at the time, and it took the entire roof off the second story and deposited in in the parking lot behind our apartment. Fortunately we lived downstairs because not only did they loose their roof upstairs, but the rain was so heavy that they had a foot of water in those apartments above us. So you’re right, none of them are any fun at all. I pray neither of us have to be hit head on by any of nature’s ugly storms. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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They are terrifying to go through! I am glad you made it through the storms safely 🙂 they really give you a new perspective on the powerful forces of nature. It taught me a lot about faith, there was a point during Charley that I felt sure we were about to die, all I could think of was hiding my fear from my children, as the house came apart around us. I really enjoy your posts sweet friend!! 🙂 ❤
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I’m glad you and your gardens survived. I haven’t ever been that close to a tornado. blessings Natalie.
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Thanks, Brad. I’ve not been too close to one either and I’d just as soon NOT ever be that close or in one for that matter. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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I’m so glad it missed you Natalie. I’ve been thru two of them, and today we were under tornado alert for hours. One touched down in the next county but not close to me, so we were lucky this time. I pray for the people involved in the next county who were involved in this one. I pray you stay safe, God it watching over you. I’m sending some of my angels down to stand watch also. Huts. A.
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Thanks, Angie, I am too! Bless you heart. I’ve never been through one and I’d just as soon keep it that way. Thanks for the prayers for safety and God’s protection, my friend. I pray the same for you. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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My first one was when I was inside my church, practicing the music for the next morning Mass with a group of kids. First we prayed and then we sang, after agreeing that if it was our time, that was a good place to be when God called us home. the funnel lifted up and over the church, according to some people who had been watching it, knowing we were inside. Miracles happen every day, and I’ve been on the receiving end so many times in my life. The second one hit all around us also, but left the house I was in undamaged. God has been so good to me, and to the people I was with when these things happened, HUGZ. A.
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So glad the Lord kept you safely through the storm.
We don’t have bad ones here in the UK but I still recall the typhoons of south east Asia. Even in the midst of the hurricanes, cowering behind cross taped windows, I was still in awe of the incredible power of nature. God’s wonderful creations put the puny power of man back in perspective.
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Thank you, Claire. So am I. I’m glad you don’t have to deal with such in the UK. Oh yes, Asia has to deal with lots of the bad, bad storms. And yes, the unbridled power of a storm like that definitely puts into perspective the Lord’s immense power and our lack of it. Blessings and hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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Lovely photos. Thank goodness you are safe. It is incredible watching such power and knowing that you are never alone during such troubled times.
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Thank you, Raewyn. I’m glad we are safe and unhurt as well, and it’s so comforting to know that the Lord is with us always. Have a good week! Hugs, N 🙂 ❤
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I am so glad you weren’t hurt.
Hugs and Blessings,
Theresa
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Thanks, Theresa, me too! Hugs and blessings to you as well. ❤ 🙂
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Adventure is worthwhile… Aesop
Wonderful collage of happy,refreshed babies and lovely petal carpet.Loved your account Natalie Dear!There is always Divine silence after a tempest … Happy Monday,my friend!Love & Big Hugs 🙂 Doda ❤ xxx
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I pray you have a week filled with wonderful days, my friend. 🙂 ❤ xoxo
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