Tornados, hallway conversations, and my son
There was a good bit of bad weather today around the greater-Nashville area. The sky went black about 1 p.m. today as rain and wind pelted downtown Nashville. Sirens went off, signifying tornadoes were in the area. A tweet from a weather app told me that the brunt of the storm would culminate over Thompson's Station -- where I live, 30 miles south of Nashville. I said a prayer for my family, especially for my kids who I knew would be safe within the deep cinderblock hallways of their schools.
Joseph, my laid-back, subdued nearly-13-year-old is back in public school again after four years of homeschool. We thought about enrolling him in a Christian academy, but the boy surprised us last year when he said he felt like he was supposed to go to public school to live out his faith in a secular environment.
As tornado sirens went off his school, Joseph and his classmates took their spots, on their bottoms, hip-to-hip, sheltered in the hallway until the all-clear was given. Joseph's friend sitting next to him was visibly shaken.
"Do you believe in God?" the boy asked my son. He was a kid my son had told us about previously -- from a broken home and a professed atheist, because that's what he was told was his belief system.
"Yes, I do," Joseph replied.
"Can you tell me about Him?" asked the shaken boy.
Joseph said he told his friend that believing in God is so easy because of the reality all around -- the beauty and the storms. He told him about Jesus and His sinless life; how he died on the cross for our sins; that confession and acceptance of God's gift wasn't a one-time thing -- it meant Jesus transforms us and demands our everything because He is Lord of everything. Joseph said he told his friend that Jesus brings peace and confidence, even in times of storm like they were sitting in.
"Thank you. Thank you for telling me that," said his friend.
Father, thank You for giving my son confidence to speak truth to his friend. I am so humbled tonight.
