Shelter from the Storm

“Come in”, she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm” – Bob Dylan

We saw the storm front and knew it was going to be a doozy. The wave of dark green quickly enveloped the neighborhood, so we turned on the television to see what the weathermen had to say. Bright red patches on the screen indicated tornado activity nearby which prompted my husband to look out of the window again. He suddenly yelled, “Everybody to the basement! NOW!”

That was eight years ago today—April 22, 2011—Good Friday in Ferguson, Missouri.

We huddled in the basement with our three children while we waited to see if the tornado would hit us. It did not. But the damage was nonetheless brutal. A tornado had touched down at the St. Louis airport and also at my sister’s house. Her husband was in bed when the giant oak tree in their back yard was uprooted and fell squarely on top of him. Amazingly, he was not injured, and the worst thing that happened that day was that they had to move out for a few months while repairs were being made.

I learned in 8^th grade science class that a thunderstorm occurs when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass. It may be the only thing I learned in that class, but for some reason that fact stuck in my brain.

This Good Friday was no less disquieting, though the storm was of a different kind. Someone close to our family betrayed our trust and caused damage that is difficult to articulate. My husband and I were suddenly caught in the emotional currents when I began to spin out of control. I started crying and could not stop. He was angry because he didn’t understand why I was so upset. He said we shouldn’t be surprised when a snake bites us. After all, a snake is a snake. But the pain was too much for me to bear and I fled the house in tears.

Have you ever felt the darkness of this type of storm? Have you ever started to cry and realized you were not able to stop? Did you search in vain for a safe place to hide until the storm passed you by? Did you jump into the car and start driving, only to find the bridge over troubled waters a terrible temptation?

I was once enduring a very painful bout a depression when someone said to me, “You just need to go read your Bible.” The words stung. Reading the Bible doesn’t salve wounds; that is what friends are for. I know I write a lot about Jesus and my relationship with him. I know He is a good comforter. But I also know He tells people to comfort those who are sad. The Bible talks a lot about His (Christian) people being the “hands and feet” of the body of Christ. What do hands do? They hold. What do feet do? They walk or maybe even swim to save drowning people. Hands bind up bleeding wounds. Feet help stabilize so the body can stand upright. That is why we need people to come alongside us when we are hurting. We lose our equilibrium when we are in the storm. And candidly, sometimes we have to call out for the coastguard.

On Friday evening I sat with my sister and wept. I had started driving and felt I had nowhere safe to go. In the middle of the storm I blew onto her front porch and she let me in. When I was ready to talk, she listened. And then we watched “The Voice” (a talent show) together. I had never seen it before. The singers and the songs were simply dreadful. And I finally asked her, “Where is Simon when you need him?” (I always loved American Idol because Simon told the bad singers they sucked instead of pandering to their egos). My sister is awesome.

On Saturday morning when the storm once again threatened to engulf me, a friend called and let me cry. Then she talked to me for a long time about everything and nothing. She shared her own heartaches and reminded me I am not alone. One can never have too much shelter in the middle of a storm!

Today I am thankful for family and friends who live out their faith—who know what it is to love well—who weep with those who weep—who are truly shelter in the storm. I think that is why Bob Dylan’s song resonates with so many people. We all hurt and we all long for hope.

Today if you are hurting, I hope you too will find shelter from the storm.