The tornado siren is blaring yet again…  All three of my daughters hate storms.

Those apples don’t fall from this tree, because I really don’t like them either.  As a little girl, thunderstorms absolutely scared me to death.

Still as a stone, I lay in my canopy bed and pull tight my green gingham quilt, mom made me, up to my chin for protection.  I count between the thunder and lighting.

I knew the higher I could count, the further the storm was moving away.  Terrified and shaking, I recite as long as I can stand.  Eventually, I cry out in fear for Daddy to save me.

Not much has changed.  In the middle of the storm, when I am afraid, I still want my Dad.  

Last week, we had a deluge of high powered downpours in Indy.  It’s highly unusual to have severe storms in August but nevertheless we experienced many days of tornado terror.  Each day, more sirens, more warnings only increased the internal anxiety of yet another twister filled day.

My oldest daughters, Shelby and Rachel text me as they huddle underneath their desks, heads covered with their hands and squatted in tornado formation.  They both need to make sure they know where I am.

You ok mom?  

Yes, honey.  I am fine.  

Always followed with…I am afraid.

I know, it’s ok…this storm will pass.

But my ten-year old, Ella, doesn’t have a cell phone at school.  She has to be brave, day after day, without me.  Each day when she gets home from school, she relives for me all of her days fearful events.  I remind her again she doesn’t need to be afraid, even though I am not there, God is with her.

It is day four of what seemed never ending chaos, Ella texts me as soon as she gets home from school.  Today’s text is different.

Hi Mommy.

Hi baby!

We had to go in the bathrooms today.

Why?

Because of the tornados.

Oh, wow.  U ok?

Yeah, my whole class had to go into the girl’s bathroom.  

On my.

We were sitting on the floor and me and my friends were praying. Holding hands in a circle.

Oh sweetie.  I am so sorry.

Yeah, I wanted to pray out loud but we couldn’t talk. 

Tears filled my eyes…as I read Ella’s text.  The sweet picture of Ella and her friends gathered together holding hands and praying flooded my heart.

After many days of Ella being afraid, this time, I didn’t have to tell her that the storm would pass.  She had been through it before and knew it would.  She did what she knew to do.  She prayed and comforted those around her in the midst of the storm.

At this moment, I was filled with thankfulness to God.  Thankful for the foundation building in Ella, in all my children.  I was reminded of the song I learned when I was a little girl in church about the wise man who built his house upon the Rock.

And the house on the rock stood firm!  

But it reminded Ella of a different song and two days later, I walked in her room and saw her heart.  On her chalkboard wall, Ella had written, The EYE of the STORM, as big and as bold as she could in electric hot pink letters.

And I heard her lightly humming and singing the sweet comforting words that go something like this.  In the eye of the storm, You remain in control.  In the middle of the war…You guard my soul.  You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn…Your love surrounds me…in the eye of the storm….

These are foundation moments for Ella’s with God.  In all our storm filled moments…Foundation stones are being set in the midst.  Maybe Ella won’t remember this moment. Maybe she will only read about it later and see I wrote about her.  This Ella story has caused me to wade in deeper.

We will have storms in this life.  Sudden cyclones, tempests and twisters.  No matter how hard we try, or how much we plan, we cannot avoid them.  But God is with us, through it all.  In the Bible, Jesus says,

In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart…I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

God wants me to trust HIM in the middle of my storms.  And I find, as I do, I am gaining wisdom, understanding and perseverance in the repeated weathering.

And I remember, He has delivered me in the past and He will do it again.  So I lean into HIS word, HIS promise that God is in the business of making good everything satan intends for evil.

I wish all of life’s storms had warning sirens then maybe we could be prepared for what’s ahead.  But regardless, God is faithful and trustworthy; He is working while I wait.

Unfortunately, sometimes the storm I am in drowns out that truth.  And I forget He is with me.

He is such a good Father so He gives others to stand with us.  God has given me so many comforters to stand with me in my storms; too many people to name here.  But you all, know who you are!

He gave me a great Dad who has been with me, protecting me, walking with me.  An example for me to stand with others in their storms.   A storm is a lot less scary if you have someone to hold your hand.  Someone who won’t let go…no matter what.

He gave me Ella too, to remind me.  Oh, I often think “teach a child the way to go”…but just look and behold what Ella is teaching me.  This was her sweet text to me this week after what she knew was a very heavy day.

Listen to the Eye of the Storm, Mommy.  Twice.