Because God Said So

In my past, before I turned my life over to Jesus Christ completely, my life was a bit of a mess. I didn't even realize it was such a mess until I got the peace that passeth all understanding. I suffered from tornado terror syndrome or twisteritus. This is not funny, it is really sad that I let Satan put such fear in me that it controlled my life. I found a hole somewhere to jump in if it thundered or, if I thought, it might thunder within the next hour or two. I knew every storm house on every road that I traveled every day, just in case I needed one. I quite often left a line of customers in my checkout line at the grocery store where I worked. I quite often checked five children out of schools made of brick and drove in torrential rains like a wild woman to get them to a safe hole in the ground somewhere. I quite often stopped and knocked on total strangers doors and frantically asked if I might use their storm house. If they laughed, I always felt it was my duty to let them know we were all going to be blown away at any second. Looking back, I know God was truly protecting me, not so much from tornados, but more from myself. It's a miracle we weren't all killed in a car wreck.

A few years ago, I began to attend a new church in town. I slacked off from going for a couple of months, fall tornado season you know. I couldn't get that far from a storm house. I hadn't yet realized the role this church would play in changing my messed up life. Spring came and so did the tornado warnings again. The month was April; I went to sleep as I usually did with tornados, death, and destruction on my mind. I had recurring tornado nightmares throughout my life. These dreams always seemed very real. I usually woke up screaming at least two or three times a month. When sleep came this particular night, so did the tornado. I was driving from my home, trying to make it to a storm shelter in town. I got about half way to my destination, when the big ole black roaring tornado dropped from the sky right in front of me. This tornado was different from all the ones I had dreamed of in the past. This tornado had something in it besides flying debris. When I looked up at the twister, I saw Jesus. I don't know how, I just knew it was Him. I started rising up in the center of the storm. As I did He said, "Come home my child.” I said, "Do you mean I am going to die?" He said, "No come back to your earthly home.” As He spoke these words, suddenly, I was back, safe and sound on the ground. As soon as I was back down, my church, with much added splendor, appeared on the right side of the road.

If anyone asks me where and why I attend church faithfully where I do, I sometime tell this story, and I sometime simply say "because, God said so.” Today a factory sits where this heavenly vision appeared in my dream. I always tape a flyer from my church by the employee door. I always stretch my hand toward the factory and pray in Jesus name every time I pass. I even got bold enough to stop in and tell the owner this tornado testimony. I took a book of my devotionals and asked if she would leave it in the employee break room. If she, you, or anyone thinks that makes me sound like a real nut, I say remember who I once was before I had the dream. You know that person I told you about who ran from tornadoes, and lived in constant fear. Which do you think is smarter, to boldly speak the name of Jesus Christ, or to cower down in a hole always running and living with this fear that Satan placed in me?

Mark 4:39 And he arose and rebuked the winds and said unto the sea, Peace be still, and the wind ceased and there was a great calm.


By Judy Parker
December 14, 2003

 


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