by Rachel K., 11, Eagan, Minnesota

“Watch out!” Screams filled the air. My dad, mom, brother, Ryan, and I huddled under a table in our split- level basement while a storm raged outside.

It's OK, I kept thinking. You are going to survive. I, Rebecca Laval, will live.

I remembered that God was with us, protecting us. So I started praying that the storm would be over quickly and that the Lord would comfort us.

All of a sudden, we heard a big crash like two trains running into each other, and the roof blew off! Furniture and junk started flying around. We peered out from under the table and saw a tornado. Ryan and I screamed at the top of our lungs, but the storm swallowed our shouts.

Suddenly, the strong winds picked up my dad and tossed him into the air. My mom tried to grab him, but she wasn't strong enough. As Ryan and I scooted toward my dad to try to help, he was blown out of sight. Realizing that we couldn't do anything until the storm was over, we sobbed. I felt so terrible. Dad had been protecting us when he was lost in the storm.

After the Storm
When the storm died down, it was late afternoon. Our house was badly damaged. I climbed the basement stairs to what had been our living room—it was destroyed. I thought I was going to cry again, but I couldn't. I was out of tears.

I looked around at the devastating sight. I saw uprooted trees, houses that looked as if they had been torn in half, and glass and garbage strewn across the ground. People were trying to clear the debris that cluttered their yards. Telephone lines were down and vehicles were overturned. I stood there sighing and wondering what to do.

I glanced at my arms and saw cuts and bruises already appearing. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before.

It doesn't matter, I thought. All I could think of was my dad. Is he OK? I wondered. He has to be OK.

Mom and Ryan had followed me up the stairs. I had an idea.

“Mom,” I said, “I'm going to run to Emily's house and see if they saw Dad during the storm.”

“Be careful,” Mom said, nodding her head.

I hoped against hope that Emily had seen him. But when I reached her house, Emily's mom stood outside. I couldn't believe what she told me: Emily was also lost in the storm! Emily hadn't been home when the storm hit. I talked to Emily's mom for a while and headed home. I continued to pray.

Later that evening, Emily's family came over so we could look for Dad and Emily. We began searching through garbage, overturned cars and destroyed buildings. We hadn't eaten for hours and the work was hard. We got really tired. We didn't find Dad or Emily. I knew it was close to hopeless.

“Let's pray about it,” Mom suggested. Just telling God our fears made us feel better. We walked to the hospital to see if we could get some food. Surprisingly, the hospital had very little damage.

Search and Rescue
Emily's family let us sleep that night in their house because ours suffered a lot more damage. We spent a restless night in their basement. I knew I needed to trust God, but I was losing hope.

I woke up early and decided to take a walk and think about what had happened. As I headed away from town, I noticed a large pile of broken furniture and garbage. I moved closer for a better look.

“Help!” The shout surprised me. It was coming from the pile. I hurried over and peered into a hole in the pile. Dad and Emily! At first I couldn't believe my eyes. I was speechless.

Then I remembered everything wasn't OK just yet. “Are you all right?” I asked anxiously.

“We're a little banged up,” Dad said. “Emily's got a deep gash in her leg. We should get to the hospital.”

“I'll get help!” I said, running for Emily's house. I passed a police officer and explained where I had found my dad and Emily. I continued running as fast as I could, thanking the Lord for His kindness with every step.

When I returned with Mom, Ryan and Emily's parents, the police officer was already moving debris. Soon Dad and Emily were free. I hugged my dad tightly, tears streaming down my face.

Dad and Emily were treated for cuts and bruises at the hospital and released. Somehow they had found each other before the storm was over. They had ducked into the ditch where they had been covered by furniture and debris.

In a way, I'm glad the storm happened, I learned a lot. I grew closer to my family, and my faith in Christ was strengthened. I also learned the importance of prayer. I know now that whatever happens, God is in control.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” —Psalm 46:1

	Q: Why did the football coach walk into the telephone store? A: He needed a receiver. Jessica S., 10, Texas Clubhouse Jr. Click here to subscribe