This day in the history of my life is a day of awareness, once again, that a powerful substance, being, matter, other than my five sense, are alive and well in the earth.

On the 24th of August at 2:51 p.m. I received a tornado warning notification on my phone.  The emergency sirens in the city begin to roar and we followed  the protocol to take shelter in the basement.  Twenty-four (24) minutes later, at precisely 3:15 p.m., I posted a prayer on Facebook:

Father YAH, I thank You for Your continued protection as this wind blows. Settle its breath so that it does not destroy the path we travel. 70×70 mile radius LORD, I trust Your wings of safety. We shall not fear nor BE afraid! Even so, we thank You for spreading Your shield and armor over EVERY school where our sons and daughters have taken cover. We rest in peace….ahhh yes….we rest in peace and in faith that as we BElieve and DO not doubt, all is absolutely well with us, our homes, our families. In the name of Yeshua our Savior…

At 3:20 p.m., the tornado passed through and over, touched down in, my apartment community.  All of these times are significant in their working for my good (2:51 [8], 3:15 [9], 3:20 [5]).

When all was clear, I left the building to get my son from school.  What I didn’t know was that the coach was putting kids in cars so that parents could bring them home to the city.  I kept praying and moved in peace, as my Jordan didn’t have phone service and I had no way to contact him.  Then, I kept getting a phone call from a 708 (15) area code.  Each time I tried to answer, there was no connection.  Finally, the call connected and it was my Jordan  using the phone of the family whom the coach just “put him in their car.”  When I met up with them, we met at Alto Express (my most favorite convenient store), and I gave the father a hug and I hugged the wife thanking them for taking care of my son and getting him to me.

During that moment, I had no thoughts of “where are you going to sleep tonight?”  I had no thoughts of, “I’m going home!”  There just seemed to BE no thoughts at all.  They told me that they took Jordan home and when they arrived near the property they knew right away that we were not going home that night.  After I thanked them, they told me…yes…they TOLD ME that we were going to stay with them.  These God sent strangers didn’t ask me what we were going to do, where were we going to go, did we have this, that, or the other.  They just told me we were going home with them.

So, my Jordan and I went to the complex to get some clothing items and we parked about two blocks around the corner and walked into the complex.  As I walked in, I kept saying, “MERCY LORD!”  It looked like a bombed war zone!  We kept on walking and I kept on asking the LORD for His mercy.  When we approached our unit, I could see how the path of the tornado, the winds and the waves, obeyed my prayers.  My apartment was just as I had left it that morning.  However, the front end of our building was falling down, and all o f the buildings around us were through and through destroyed.

For two days, we watched as residents were hustling, hassling, and moving haphazardly about in a panicky state.  I continued to speak words of peace to my Jordan and explained to him that we were not going to respond like what we see.  Over and over, I placed hope and peace BEfore every step we took until he understood that we were altogether well.  Walking with him through thoughts and feelings, he suddenly said,

“I need a camera!  This looks like a movie set for filming.”  He BEgin to draw on the scenery through his creative vision.  A vision that made something void (disastrous) resourceful.  SELAH!

As I went about the progression of receiving help, I went to a resource and the caseworker said, “How are you so calm during such a disaster? You’re so peaceful!”

I quietly replied, “I AM calm BEcause peace is resting, ruling, and abiding.  I have no reason to disturb it.  And, good can always prevail in a disastrous situation.”

This thought took me back to the hour and minute that I prayed, 3:15 p.m.   That number equals 9.  There are nine fruit of the Spirit.  Peace is the 3rd active fruit of the Spirit, and faith is the 7th one.  These two elements are in full effect in my life; thus the absence of doubt and distress.

So then, even though everyone had to evacuate the premises, BEcause the foundation was not stable, one of the many blessings on this day is that no souls were lost.  All things materialistic are replaceable, and all this memorable are hidden in our heart.  While I’m waiting to retrieve what’s left of my material possessions, I am cognizant of an immediate inhaling receipt of something much more valuable and that is another measure of peace and faith.

I AM Grateful!