I was at the clinic with one of the kids last Monday, the 16th. During the appointment, there was a knock on the door. The staff at the clinic told us we had to head to the basement because of the intense thunderstorm that was due to hit Luverne. I’m not a bad weather lover like some of my friends. (You all know who you are!) I don’t chase storms all over the countryside, but I do like to see what is happening; only because I can’t handle the fear of not knowing what is actually going on. Now, Monday the 16th happened to be the 22nd anniversary of the Chandler Tornado and for those of you who didn’t know, I grew up in Chandler. While we were walking to the basement stairway at the clinic, I quickly called home to Kaylie and told her they should go to the basement also. I did the typical mom thing and told her it probably was nothing and not to be scared, “you know what to do and you will be fine.” After that, no cell service as I entered the basement at the hospital. Two of my babies were home in the storm all alone. My husband was in the middle of nowhere loading pigs on a truck. Great! Here I sit in a cold basement hallway with no window. Fear immediately set in, but I couldn’t let people think I was a whimp, and I didn’t want my child to sense the fear that was overcoming every inch of me. There I sat, staring at the wall across from me with my eyes wide open.
Wishing I had just stayed home that afternoon, I wondered what I could do to take my mind off the events. A few minutes later, I found myself informing God that he should make the storm go away. I was scared and I was pleading with him, I was telling him this weather on this day in this place is a very cruel thing, just make it go away. A few moments later, His calm response was, “Be still, I’m right here…everything is going to be alright.” It was in that moment that my skin tingled and the fear quickly turned more to shame. I realized I was informing God of what I thought best for me, rather than asking for him to comfort me and allow myself to just trust Him. I thought of the disciples on the boat during the storm. Was I like them? Was Jesus asking me the same questions he had asked the disciples after he rebuked the storm? “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:39b) Who was I to rebuke God?
While I will never forget the sick feeling deep in my gut on June 16, 1992, I will also never forget the many beautiful lessons I learned at the young age of 10. I learned that God is always faithful and he loves and protects me, no matter what I do or am going through. Another one of those lessons was about helping and loving your neighbor even when you are struggling also. That summer long ago, our house was a terrible mess, but my father was one of the people that took charge of the cleanup organization for the entire community. Last Sunday morning I read one of my friends post on Facebook about how grateful she was for a neighborhood that stuck together to help each other wade through hip deep water in basements and backyards all night long to prevent further damage to properties. The exact opposite of selfishness; unselfishly loving one another and taking care of one another. Trusting that God would continue to take care of them during and after the storm passed.
Twenty-two years later, we talk about the tornado and often comment on the many amazing events and situations that happened because of it. Many of which could have only been orchestrated by our Heavenly Father. All these years later, I think of how God protected my family and my friends. All these years later, I still know how powerful my God is and how much he loves me. The very same God who created the scary, devastating and even frustrating storm, is the very same God who loves you more than you can even imagine. Turn to Him, He is all you need.
One day, we will look back at the last couple weeks and do the same. While I hope it is truly 100 years till the next flood, let’s be sure to pass on the spirit of unselfish giving to the future generations, even when we have our own trials. Let’s pass on our faith in trusting God even when we are afraid of the storm. Let us not rebuke God for the trial we are going through, but rather trust Him and know our God is so mighty that even the wind and waves obey him!
Grateful for life’s storms, Becky Ossefoort