Lakeside Retreat by Marci Seither

Author:Marci Seither [Seither, Marci]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Living / Devotional, RELIGION / Christian Living / Devotional Journal
ISBN: 9781496453198
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 2022-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

SAFE SHELTER

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

PSALM 57:1

THE WARNING BLARED from the phone and echoed throughout the cabin. It sounded like the television alert that begins with “This is a test. In the event of a real emergency . . .” But this wasn’t a test; it was the real thing. The weather was serving up more than just rain and wind, and we needed to be prepared to seek shelter in the event of a tornado. Thankfully the cabin had a basement.

Ginger, Lydia, Gracie, and I stood at the kitchen window and watched dark clouds boil across the horizon. The slight patter of rain soon became a constant pounding. Thunder shook the cabin, and lightning split across the sky, electrifying the dark night. With each strike, Ginger and I counted the seconds until we heard what sounded like a cannon blast, gauging how quickly the storm was moving. Lydia and Gracie waited with their hands cupped over their ears.

“Oh no,” Ginger said. “I think I left the shop door open!” She pulled on a jacket and reached for the door.

As she turned the knob and cracked the door open, a blinding flash of light filled the doorway. The deafening sound of an explosion immediately followed, and the door slammed shut.

I could feel the compression against my chest, as if a stick of dynamite had just detonated. The thunder and lightning were in perfect sync, and it was terrifying to know the storm was right over us.

“Never open the door again!” yelled young Gracie, fighting back tears.

Tree branches cracked as wind whipped through the leafy canopy, and we could see white-capped waves pounding against the anchored boats.

Gathering up the girls’ pillows and a few blankets, we headed toward the basement and huddled together on blow-up mattresses and sleeping bags. The girls fell asleep, but Ginger and I kept watching as the streaks of silver lightning moved to the other side of the lake.

Rain continued to fall, but now it was more of a comforting sound. Still, we were relieved to know we were safe in the basement, within the cabin walls. We would wait until morning to assess the damage.

The Lord doesn’t promise us that he will never send a warning siren or a storm. He sends the rain and wind. We do not have the power to outrun or avoid them when they come. Storms are a reminder to be thankful for the shelter we have in the Lord.

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