Devastating Storms

Exactly 35 years ago today Wisconsin experienced one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the Chippewa Valley- a devastating storm with winds over 100 mph and ten brief tornado touch downs.

Not to give away my age, but I was 14 years old at the time.

Our family resided on a dairy farm in the farming community of Fall Creek.  Like thousands of people, I will never forget that fateful night.  Our parents shouted for us to get to the basement as my older sister and I were instructed to grab our younger brother and sister who were asleep.  We dragged their sleepy bodies down two flights of stairs into the musty basement of our farm house as the window in our dining room shattered to pieces.

Me and my five siblings huddled together with our parents in the creepy, spider webby basement. Noises I had never heard before filled my frightful ears.  Mother instructed us firmly stating that if we had never before prayed, now was the time to start.  I don’t think I quite knew how to pray in that moment.  Instead, I stood as quiet as I could stand with the hopes that my good behavior might somehow make the madness stop. 

A large oak tree in our front yard fell to its death; thankfully falling away from the house.  The following morning brought a quiet eeriness as families emerged from their homes to survey the destruction.  Damage to agriculture and crops was devastating. Although my dad didn’t say much I knew he was deeply concerned for what lie ahead both for our family and for many families in our community.

As disasters have a way of doing; our community banded together to clean up and salvage all that we could salvage.  Neighbor helping neighbor.  Perspectives were changed over night; I felt thankful to be alive.

Devastating storms have a way of either drawing us closer to our Maker, opening our eyes to our own mortality or pushing us further away as we question why storms must be faced at all.

All these years later I am able to recollect many storms that have been faced in my own life, some literally and others spiritually, financially or physically.  And I am thankful for the lessons brought by each storm that have been forever engraved upon my heart.

In the Gospel of Luke, we enter into a literal storm with Jesus and His disciples as they are crossing the lake in a boat.  The “boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.” (Luke 8:23)  The disciples freaked out and woke up Jesus saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” (vs. 24)

After waking up and rebuking the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided.  Jesus asked His disciples, “Where is your faith?” (vs. 25)

The storm offered the disciples two choices: respond in fear or respond in faith.  

Within each one of us, each disciple of Jesus, lies the option to respond to storms with the fear of a 14 year old who can’t remember how to pray or the faith of a soldier who understands that  devastating storms are necessary to grow us more into the character of the One who will never abandon us.

Unlike the early disciples, we do not need to run around looking for Jesus on the boat of our storms; He has given us the gift of His Spirit, a trusted Companion who is with us always.  If we don’t know how to pray we can simply ask Him and He will teach us and will intercede on our behalf.

Faith always overcomes fear as we learn to trust our Maker in the midst of our storms.

Stay the Course…

Sheila