A Shelter in the Time of Storm

Photo Credit: NWS Mobile

Last week my husband and I were traveling across our city in search of the perfect upholstery material for our living room couch.  Our trek from one fabric store to another took us past areas of town destroyed by tornadoes a week before Christmas and then again on Christmas day.

We headed east and saw destruction in one area of town and as we headed west to another store, my husband said, "Did the storm hit here, too?"

"No," I reminded him, "that was from the tornado a week before which hit the other side."

We were shocked to see the destruction up-close and our hearts hurt to imagine what these families went through as the winds tore their houses apart, especially the tornado which came through on Christmas evening.

The interesting thing to us is that both of these tornadoes took a path very close to our home.  The first was on a path a mile to the west of us.  The second on a path a mile to the east of us.  As we were opening gifts Christmas Day, we frequently stopped because of the tornado sirens and emergency weather bulletins.

Our house was in the center of these two paths and spared.  In fact, we actually slept through the first one entirely.  We were safe. . . so safe we were asleep.

Living in a hurricane-prone area, I learned long ago that my trust is not in these four walls.  I have also learned that it is possible to walk away from them expecting to return to rubble.

Our dear friends, Larry & Jane and Karen, who live in Mississippi, lost all during Hurricane Katrina,  and have wonderful testimonies of the Lord's faithfulness and keeping even in the midst of great outer destruction and turmoil.  Their testimonies and sharing encourage us all that the Lord will always be abundantly sufficient in every moment, He will always be our "shelter in a time of storm."  

 A Shelter in the Time of Storm

by Vernon John Charlesworth

The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

 A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We'll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.


O, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
O, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.