Our Worst Nightmare

Stay with me.....this one may get lengthy.....

I've been wanting to write this post for some time, but tonight is the first night we've had internet since that awful night last week. I don't even know where to begin, except to say this has been a very trying and tiring week for my family. My grandmother lived in Concord (in the same house for over 50 years) and was there last Wednesday night when the storm came through. My uncle said, "Heather, God told me to call her that night right before it hit". Praise the Lord he listened. He called Grandmother and told her to get in the hallway (as she has no basement) and thankfully, she listened. She was there by herself, but by a miracle of God, she walked out without a scratch on her. She was in this little hallway, up against a wall that was about 2 feet wide between 2 doorways. Both doorframes were ripped out and the doors fell and almost crossed each other right were she was sitting on the floor. I'm guessing the doors jammed against each other so they didn't fall on her. Coincidence? I think not. She had some angels with her!

My uncle and cousin drove as close as they could get and then ran until they found her standing in the driveway. We weren't able to get back to her house until Friday afternoon (the National Guard wouldn't even let residents back in until then) and what I saw was totally life changing. This is a picture of her house (or what's left of it):

Her house is not supposed to be blue.....blue is the old color before we put white siding on it. Most of the siding was ripped off. It busted out all the windows and left a huge hole in the roof/ceiling on the back of the house.

This is the living room that had the most damage. This is where the ceiling and roof blew off. What a terrible mess.....

This is looking off Grandmother's front porch. Kinda hard to tell, but there used to be a house right across the street. It was COMPLETELY demolished down to the concrete slab. Thankfully, the owners weren't there that night. Again, makes me KNOW God was with Grandmother. How was her house still standing???

Someone read the following passage to me and I have no doubt this is my Grandmother's theme verse now. It gives me chills to read it and I know we are blessed to have her safe and alive.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, "The Lord is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all of your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91

We know we have so much to be thankful for, but this has just been quite an emotional journey. Kevin and I were planning to move into our new house last weekend, but instead we ended up moving Grandmother's things out of her house. We were glad to do that, but completely exhausted. I sent my sweet girl to Gadsden with my MIL while Kevin and I helped out in Concord. I have been an emotional wreck and am completely overwhelmed at everything going on right now. We have been going to the new house for a few hours every night doing things and it is wearing us down. We plan to move everything in during the next week or so. Please keep our family in your prayers as we help Grandmother (who is 78) to heal and move forward after this terrible experience. It is heartbreaking to think about her having to deal with this after losing my Granddaddy (her husband of over 50 years) only 19 months ago. So much to handle. Please pray that my Dad and uncle continue to make decisions with her that are in her best interest, and pray for the strength to move forward. And make sure to give your loved ones extra hugs and "I love you's"......I know I have.