02-10-09 Tornado near where I work! (Oklahoma)

MOST OF THIS WAS WRITTEN ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10:

We had a tornado warning the afternoon of February 10! Yes--in February! Not just a watch, but an actual warning!

The MDO (Mother's Day Out) director's Mom called her and told her the sirens were going off in Edmond and that there was a tornado warning. So, we all went over to MDO to help around 2:20 pm to make sure that the children were retrieved safely by their parents. Then we all packed up Emily's baby (Elliana) and Kylee's baby (Rylee) and went back to the office area to our designated tornado room, which is Ryland's office. Ryland had just come back to work today after taking his new son (Isaac ) and his wife (Mindy) to Isaac's first doctor's appointment. Isaac was born February 3 and Ryland, Mindy and Isaac stopped by the office after the doctor's appointment so we could all meet Isaac. Ryland drove Mindy and Isaac home and then came in to work.

Around 2:20, the tornado warning was issued and Mindy and Isaac were at home by themselves. She and Isaac got in their hallway and Ryland stayed at work because it was too dangerous for him to drive in the bad weather. I know his heart was aching to be home with them. Eventually he was able to drive home and everyone at the Russell household was fine. We are grateful to God for that.

The tornado touched down very near Waterloo Road Baptist Church where I work. The tornado hit just west of Waterloo Road and Broadway. WRBC is at Waterloo Road and Coltrane, which is two miles (two intersections) from the damage. (On my way home from work on 02-11-09 I took a picture from my car of a building that was totally destroyed. I will try to post the pic on this blog.)

After the tornado passed and we were out of harm's way we spent the rest of the afternoon answering phone calls and trying to work at our computers. Not only were WRBC members and our families calling, TV stations, the Red Cross, Feed the Children, and the Edmond Emergency Management Department called as well.

WRBC was opened as a designated Red Cross shelter for those whose houses were severely damaged or destroyed. When I left a little after 5:00 pm on Tuesday the Red Cross had not arrived to set up yet. I presume they finally made it 'cause the TV and radio stations were announcing that people should go to the Church if they needed a place to stay, food, etc.

If I was not still recuperating I would have stayed to help. However, I knew I would do myself more harm than good and came on home.

Ted, the husband of our receptionist (Janice) drove to WRBC so we could follow him home safely and avoid the closed roads, downed power lines, debris and trees on roads, etc. Ted is chaplain for the OKC fire department and knew the roads that would be closed. Three of us ladies followed him home. It took me 40-45 minutes and normally it takes only 20 minutes.

Fortunately everything was fine at my house when I arrived. I even had electricity!

Please pray for people whose houses were destroyed or damaged as well as for those trying to restore electricity, work at the Red Cross shelter, etc.

P.S.: I learned February 11 that at least 8 people were killed and 50 injured due to another tornado that touched down on February 10 in the small town of Lone Grove, near Ardmore. News media is reporting that the tornado near where I work was rated EF2 and the one near Ardmore was EF4! Pray especially for those people in grief due to the deaths of family and friends. Some of them also have the grief of their house and possessions being blown away.

As of February 12, 9 people have died as a result of the tornado in Lone Grove.

"Sand or Stone?"

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock.”
“And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.”
Matthew 7:24 & 26 (NAS)

While thumbing through a new catalog tonight (11-22-04) I noticed a quote that said “Write your hurts in the sand... Carve your blessings in stone.” I don’t know about you, but sometimes I carve my hurts in stone and write my blessings in the sand; so, this saying was a timely reminder for me to do the right thing regarding my blessings as well as my hurts.

Whatever is written in sand will soon be covered over when the first winds of painful adversity blow into our lives. Sometimes the troubles that come into our lives seem like an Oklahoma tornado in our hearts, leaving a path of destruction and devastation that only God can restore. In contrast to writing in sand, drawings, symbols and words that have been carved in stone throughout history often remain for centuries. In the same way, we have writings that have remained for centuries from Paul, King David, Moses and others. Their God-inspired communication will remain forever as a part of God’s Holy Word to each one of us. Even when the storms of life almost seem to come nonstop, if we have allowed the eternal messages from God’s Word to be carved into the tablets of our hearts, we can stand firm and have our faith in God strengthened; then those who come into our lives from all generations are able to read God’s message clearly by our actions, words and deeds in the midst of adversity and pain.

When I was a child, we learned a song in Sunday School entitled “The Wise Man and The Foolish Man.” Some of the words were “The wise man built his house upon the rock..... And the rains came tumbling down. Oh the rains came down and the floods came up, but the house on the rock stood firm." The next verse dealt with the foolish man and where he built his house: “The foolish man built his house upon the sand.... And the rains came tumbling down. Oh the rains came down and the floods came up, but the house on the sand fell flat." I may not have recalled all the words perfectly, but you get the idea–it makes a difference where we choose to establish our lives. We do have a choice on whether or not to build on the solid foundation of salvation in Jesus Christ or on the weak and insecure foundation outside of God’s will for our lives.

In this season of Thanksgiving we are often reminded to do as the hymn says–“...Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.” Where are you keeping track of those blessings as you count them? Are they written in sand or stone? God has provided so many blessings for us that it would be difficult to keep track of them all by using only paper and pen, although it is good to do this. In addition to that, let’s ask God this Thanksgiving to write His blessings on the tablets of our hearts so that our minds can pull them up and meditate upon them at any time of the day or night. Share those blessings from God that are carved in stone upon your heart’s tablet with others, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. After all, Thanks-”LIVING” is just as important as Thanks-”GIVING.”
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Dear God,
Thank You that You are teaching me how to write my hurts in the sand so that they quickly disappear. I need You, as the Author and Finisher of my faith, to carve Your blessings on the tablet of my heart so that I can truly say “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Please help me to be strong enough to have a life of Thanks-“LIVING” as well as a life of Thanks-“GIVING.”
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.
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© 11-22-04 & 10-28-08 by Janet Faye Broyles of Edmond, Oklahoma
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