“He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.” – Mark 4:39
It was a warm and beautiful day in May of 2010 when our family experienced a terrible Oklahoma storm. As the afternoon progressed and the temperature warmed, the sky turned dark and before long all the local TV stations had interrupted their programming for full-time weather coverage.
As we watched the storms develop to our west, we grew concerned. The storm track was pointed in our direction. We tried to keep our afternoon work going, but as the rain got heavier and lightening and thunder seemed closer by the minute, we started paying more and more attention to the weather reports on TV. Before long, our community was right in the bullseye of a possible tornado.
As we watched the news, the sirens sounded. Aimee and I gathered our girls and off we went to the neighbor’s storm shelter. The storm moved in quickly and before we knew it, there was a tornado right on top of us. The sky was dark, the wind was strong. As we closed the door to the cellar, we knew it was going to be bad. We were right in the path of the tornado.
When we opened the door, and emerged from underground, we realized that the tornado had touched down on our street. The trees were damaged and uprooted, roofs had been torn off and the power lines were down. The storm had marred our community.
It did not take long for our community to spring into action. We went door-to-door checking on neighbors. We began to clear debris and put tarps on roofs. Churches sprang into action, making food for those impacted by the tornado. Church organizations came from all over Oklahoma to help us recover from the storm damage.
Experiencing a tornado up close was terrifying. It changed our day and our community. Although the storm was frightening, we experienced something beyond the damage. As the day and the week progressed, we saw God’s people come together to bring healing to our community. When there was need, people came together to help. People volunteered their time and their talents to bring peace and healing. That is what God does through his people. In the midst of all types of storms in our lives, even the spring storms in Oklahoma, God and God’s people have the ability to bring calm and peace. What a joy to know we have a God who speaks peace and leads us to healing.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
