Have you ever been told something that you didn’t totally agree with? My dear friend and cousin Lynda has often told me that I am brave. I don’t see myself that way. Ironically, when she inadvertently drove into a potentially dangerous situation, she responded with more bravery than I ever would have.
It started during a trip to a handbell festival in Mt. Juliet, which is just east of Nashville. Lynda is musically inclined like many on my mother’s side. Not only does she sing at church, but she used to play in the handbells as well. She was so excited about the festival that she left work early so she could arrive there at a decent time.
Since she left later in the day, she wasn’t able to ride with some of the other handbell players. For Lynda, this is no big deal since she doesn’t mind traveling by herself. When she reached the Cookeville exit, she stopped for a break at a local mall. After she did a little shopping, she hopped back on I-40. This was at mile marker 287 which meant she was only 61 miles away from mile the Mt. Juliet exit at marker 226. After a few minutes of driving, she noticed dark clouds looming off in the distance. She immediately turned on the radio to listen for weather reports.
When she was close to mile marker 250, she finally heard a weather report. Let’s just say, it was not the kind of report one wants to hear while traveling. Not only was there a tornado watch in effect, but there was also a tornado warning for the area near Mt. Juliet. That meant she was driving toward a tornado. The weather report went on the say the storm system seemed to be traveling along I-40.
If this had been me, I would have been already in panic mode and beyond reasoning, but not Lynda. While she was frightened, she was able to keep her wits about her. As she approached the ominous clouds, she thought about the upcoming exits realized the next one was Lebanon. She knew it had a large outlet mall where she could wait out the storm. About two miles before she reached the exit, the radio announced a tornado warning for Mt. Juliet. This didn’t surprise her since the sky had taken on an eerie look. Then she noticed some of them were rotating. At this point, she prayed to make it off the interstate.
Not only did she safely make it off the interstate, but she also made it to the mall. The first thing she noticed was how empty the parking lot was. She parked at the first store she saw and dashed inside of it. An employee told her the mall had closed early that day due to the threat of tornados and to go to the food court for safety. Unfortunately for Lynda, the food court was on the other side of the mall. As she made her way, she noticed it was growing darker outside, but the wind was very calm. This scared her all the more.
There were a few other people at the food court. They consisted of a few mall employees and other travelers who were also seeking shelter from the storms. Some of these people were standing near the windows. Lynda was tempted to as well, but she was too scared. Suddenly, the rain hit and the wind began to blow with strength. To get them away from the windows, security had them go into the hallway where the bathrooms were located. Then security announced that the tornado sirens were going off. Lynda said she couldn’t hear them. As for me, that is one sound I hope I never hear.
Next, everybody was instructed to go into the bathrooms. This is the point where full panic sit in for her. As they entered the bathroom, some went under the sinks and others went into the stalls.
Being a storm nerd like me, Lynda had watched the Weather Channel series, “Storm Stories.” It’s a good thing because she remembered meteorologists saying a structure is more solid where the plumbing is located. Also, the more interior walls are more solid as well. So, she went into the first stall closest to the inside concrete wall and squatted down on the floor next to the toilet and the wall. She placed her head between her knees like we were taught in school during tornado drills. Of course, she was praying. At this point, I would have been crying hysterically.
To this day she doesn’t know how long she stayed there. To her, it seemed like both forever and no time at all. While in there, she heard the train sound in the wind overhead.
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 3:16 (KJV)
I chose this verse because Lynda said she felt safe and knew God was with her. You know, His presence should be the basis of our strength in any situation. No matter the outcome, He will never leave us. One more thing, while we may be surprised and caught off guard by things, The Lord never is.
Lynda said she never knew for sure if it was an actual tornado or just wind that blew over the mall. When she went back outside, there was no damage. It was still cloudy, but there was no rain. As for her time in the bathroom, she didn’t notice if it was clean or dirty when they first went in. After it was over, she realized it was almost as clean as a new bathroom. So, God had blessed her two ways in one: He provided a safe haven in a clean public bathroom. See, miracles do happen!
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.