Pss. 55:8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and
tempest.
The Days Without...
Well, my internet has been out three going on four days now.
It went out late Saturday night during the storm. Storm? What storm? First…
Saturday we went to his nephews wedding. It was an odd
wedding like none I’ve ever been to. The bride/groom wore white tip tennis
shoes. You know like the Converse high-tops only they weren’t high tops? The
invitation never stated ‘informal wedding’ so I wore my ankle length dress and sandals.
It’s in style and can be worn as formal or informal so I felt I looked nice.
Everyone else looked nice too except for the two or three that wore almost butt
baring short mini-skirts with white tip tennis shoes mind you.
The very short ceremony was held at a reception hall, by I
do believe, a female justice of the peace. A wedding/reception if you will. The
vows took about ten minutes and poof the bride, groom and bridal party left
afterward. The sign said they’d be back at six. They all had left to get
pictures taken and went over to a park a few miles down the road.
So it was about 3:30 when they left and they’d return at
six! Before the ceremony and after the ceremony we were treated to very loud
rock music by the likes of AC/DC, Kiss, some Reo Speedwagon and such. You get
the picture. The bride’s family were bikers and the groom’s side of the family
are of the Baptist nature. While I did grow up on that type of music and it was
all too familiar to me, it was interesting though, watching his aunt endure the
noise.
The groom’s mom and dad aren’t church goers so they seemed
to enjoy or at least bear with the whole kit and kaboodle. We had to sit and
wait the two and a half hours close to three, smelling the food cooking in the
background. We were all starving so that didn’t help. I’d go outside and look
around at the scorching parking lot and feel the brisk winds to let myself know
I was still here on the planet earth. A few had gathered outside where they had
booze in the trunks of their car. One man who was already feeling his liquor
commented on my skirt blowing up and I just smiled. How sweet. (not)
By this time my stomach was cramping so bad from eating
Reese’s cups that were on the table; the only thing to eat while waiting. The
bridal party had finally returned! We had to wait another twenty minutes while
they all got to the food first. Then it was our turn to stand in line, and
finally, food! Spare ribs and chicken and some delicious salads, which is all I
ate. I didn’t touch the ribs or chicken.
I did like the party favors though, little Converse high-top
tennis shoes in every color of the rainbow. I took three, sue me, I was bored.
I was asked more times than once when WE (Steven and I) were taking the plunge.
After eleven years, no proposal and witnessing THIS wedding? I NEVER want to
marry again! Seriously! While I love the kids, the sanctity of marriage is a
little more than… oh never mind.
By eight o’clock we were more than ready to go home. As we
approached the road home, we could see the sky blackened and lightning off in
the distance, probably nearing our house. As we got closer and closer to the
house the winds had picked up and drops of rain the size of my hand had begun
falling. I was feeling uneasy.
We pulled up to the door, parked pretty close to the steps,
and we proceeded to go in the house. By the time Adam put his foot in the door
(Adam was the last one in) hail began to pummel the house. It beat for far too
long for me and we began worrying about his mother and sister and them driving
home right into this stuff.
Can I ask something? Why do people have cell phones if
they’re going to leave them off and let voicemail pick up? What’s the point?
We were assessing the damage caused by the golf ball sized
hail when his sister called. They made it home only to witness her daughters
car get whopped by a baseball size hailstone and bust out the rear window of
her car. They couldn’t stand around looking because the hail just kept coming.
They all made it home safe.
Well now, that’s exciting for a day isn’t it? Well that
wasn’t it…
About two hours passed and we went to bed while lightning
like a strobe-light lit up the sky! We knew we were in for a big one because my
Weatherbug said so. Now I go out quick and rest for a good eight hours before I
wake but by 11:30 I was jilted awake by thunder, lightning and WIND. High
winds! High enough for me to be scared outta my wits! With computers off, I
relied on my emergency radio.
Once on, we listened as tornado warnings were all around us.
The winds howled, the house shook, water came in wherever there was a crack, I
saw a small branch that looked like a tree fly by the window, leaves were being
tossed around like a windy fall day. Me? I prayed.
I went and sat on the sofa clutching my bible in my hands
and continued to pray as the roaring wind went on and on all around me. Tick
tock there goes the clock, anticipation as I could hear the wind slowing it’s
pace and the thunder rolling away from us.
I remembered my last words to my friend on facebook before
the second storm hit, “I’m protected.” I had signed off with a goodnight and
God Bless and that was the last I saw of the internet.
Sunday I awoke still cramped. (I never eat chocolate so I
guess my stomach knew I had ate something foreign to my system.) The sun had
not yet risen but there was enough morning light for me to see. My back lawn
was covered in leaves and branches, not big branches but heavy enough to have
to put in our wagon to move. My neighbor’s house had a big branch lying across
the roof, where it had damaged a portion of her chimney.
I turned on my computer, not surprising, no internet. Still
reeling in pain, I couldn’t even THINK of going to church. Oh I thought of God
and I sang soft praises and thanked Him for protecting me. I knew He would and
after hearing of all the devastation with downed power lines and silo’s
toppled, farm crops shredded to pieces, I knew I was protected from something
bigger that had gone on out there.
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