WEATHERING THE STORM TOGETHER

When I was a kid and we traveled, we spent a lot of time in a tent. Four boys within five years of each other meant a lot of commotion and noise. Even when we stayed at other people’s home we’d sleep outside in a tent. There was usually a lot of, “stop touching me,” and “so and so smells,” or “someone wiped a booger on me.” Who wouldn’t want that in their house, right?

On one occasion we were staying at our grandparents’ house for the weekend…outside in the tent, of course. On Saturday evening our parents went to their high school reunion. A huge thunderstorm was coming our way, but we were tough and could endure whatever it was going to throw at us. (A little about the tent: it was canvas with large aluminum poles on the inside and looked like a camel with a tall hump in the middle and lower ones on each end…it was the 70’s and it was awesome!) Now, back to the storm - as the evening went on the storm intensified! The wind was whipping around so hard that we had to hold the tent poles to them keep from collapsing. My two older brothers held the two main poles in the middle while my younger brother and I each held the ones on the end. The heavy canvas tent was smacking our knuckles as our hands gripped the poles tightly. The oldest brother was barking orders, “hang on!,” and “don’t let go of the poles!” We were in it together and we were going to save the tent! The tent started to leak, like they always seem to do. There were screams of fear and agony. Eventually, our wise grandpa came out and told us to get our butts in the house. The oldest hollered over the wind, “Dad said we had to stay in the tent!” Grandpa won that short discussion.

Maybe this would have been a better tent for us...

 

The next morning the tent was in a twisted pile. We found out later there was a tornado several miles away that night. I’m pretty sure had us boys stayed in tent we could have saved it. We can accomplish anything together, but sometimes you need to listen to wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”