I love waking up to the songs of my winged friends each morning. I love seeing the winter-dead trees spring back into life as blooms make their colorful seasonal appearance. April tends to usher in these annual joys each year in the area of the world where I live. But…April also typically brings another seasonal reminder…that of tornadoes.
Tornadoes don’t bring me any joy.
Thankfully, I live in a section of the country that is not prone to the catastrophic destruction frequently provided by this weather evil. Yes – we get a warning every now and then and many “watches”, but the Blue Ridge Mountains tend to guard against these ugly things for us. However, you don’t have to go too far east, west, north, or south to face them head-on especially during this time of the year.
For me, tornadoes bring about an entirely different warning. A warning and sometimes gut-wrenching reminder that another anniversary of Chris’ death is near.
The week before Chris passed away, a tornado touched down in his hometown of Glade Spring, VA. It was also the town in which we married.
I was at a women’s conference in nearby Johnson City, TN with my friend Kandi just a couple days after the tornado hit. We decided to ride up to Glade Spring to see some of Chris’ family and the devastation first-hand. We also took many pictures to share with Chris, because I knew he wouldn’t believe what had happened to some of the familiar landmarks. And…sure enough…he was floored! I think the heartbreak of what had happened to his precious hometown just added to the ache that was already building within him, unbeknownst to me at the time.
Just a few short days later, Chris took his own life and entered his Heavenly home.
So, for me, tornadoes bring about an entirely different sadness. Seeing and hearing about the lives that are disrupted or taken by these vicious storms are tragic, in and of themselves. Couple that with memories of the biggest “storm” that ever entered my life, and I find it just a bit unsettling at times.
But, I also know of promised signs that offer hope…the blessed hope that our days of sadness, turmoil, disease, disaster, and grief will end for those who believe in the One who will one day come again to take us Home!
There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. ~Luke 21:11, 25-28 (ESV)
Leave a Reply