Just Say Jesus

November 17, 2013, will be a day I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a Sunday, but that was the only normal thing about that day.  My oldest had spent the night with my parents, and so I only had my two youngest with me as we got ready for church that morning.  My husband had driven to church separately because he's on the worship team. It was my niece's birthday, and I had made her cake.  We were going straight to her party after church and so I wanted to take the cake and presents with us to church so we wouldn't have to come all the way back home.  I had my middle child go out and open all the doors for me while I took the cake out to put in the van.  I shut all the doors, but did not know that she had gone back out there later and accidentally let our dog into the garage where the van was.   I had gone back into the house to get the presents, and she came running back into the house yelling that our dog had eaten the cake!!!   I couldn't believe it! I salvaged what I could off the top of the cake, and we headed for church.  When we pulled into the church parking lot the bank clock said 65 degrees.  After church we went to the local grocery store and bought my niece another cake.  My husband was not feeling well and decided to go home instead of going to the birthday party. As we headed out of town and to my brother's house for the party, the bank clock read 75!  I had a really bad feeling about how the weather felt.  There was a tornado watch already, and the weather people were saying there was a 90% chance there would be a tornado that day.  The wind had really picked up while we were in church.  It was nearly blowing our van off the road as we drove east from Rantoul to Gifford to meet the rest of my family for the birthday party.  As we were driving, my middle child commented how "funny" it was that there was a tornado watch and there was a tornado on the Wizard of Oz cake I had made for my niece.  

When we arrived at my brother's house, we ate lunch while keeping an eye on the tv.  Within a few minutes, a tornado warning was issued, and we sent the kids all to the basement to play and to be safe.  In the meantime, my dad called me outside to hear this eerie noise.  It was this constant roaring noise.  Like a jet plane flying over, but constant.  It was the scariest sound I have ever heard, and I hope I never hear it again.  We decided all of us needed to go into the basement.  Once we all got down there, we realized my dad was not there with us.  I went upstairs and found him outside still listening to that eerie noise overhead.  Suddenly it started to hail. We turned to go into the house and get into the basement.  As soon as we turned towards to house, the tornado sirens went off.  When we got into the basement, I ran to my three girls and my niece who were in the closet.  My brother and the rest of his family were in the bathroom, and my parents and aunt and uncle were in the laundry room.  As soon as I got into the closet, I grabbed my three girls and pulled them down on my lap and grabbed my niece and pulled her onto my lap, wrapped my arms around all of them, and held my hands together as tight as I could.  Within seconds, we could hear things start to hit the side of their house, and windows were blown out.  I reached over and grabbed the closet door and pulled as hard as I could to shut it.  I could feel the force of the suction pulling at my clothes.  I was more scared than I have ever been in my life.  All I could think to do was pray, but nothing would come out of my mouth but "JESUS!"  HAVE MERCY ON US!"  I said it about five times, I think, and it was suddenly very dark and very quiet.  

We made the children all wait in the basement while we adults went upstairs to assess what had just happened.  It was like nothing I have every seen before.  A tornado had ripped a path right through the middle of town.  Gifford was destroyed.  Many of my brother's neighbors and friends came out of their basements or crawl spaces to nothing above them.  Their entire houses ripped off the foundations.  All of their worldly possessions gone.  Our family had eight vehicles there, all of them were destroyed.  Our van had the window knocked out by some baby's high chair tray.  It was in my van.  My brother's house was damaged severely, but still standing.  As we looked around Gifford, we became very aware of how protected we had been.  The tornado came in the west side of town, ripped a path through town and exited the east side.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were stranded at my brother's house the rest of day.  No one was being let in or out of town.  There were power lines down everywhere and gas leaks.  There was no electricity, gas, or water.  My husband was anxious for us to get out of town and get home.  He was ready to see me and the girls and know that we were ok.  Right after nightfall we decided to take my two oldest nieces and bring them to stay with us for awhile, and my parents took my other niece and nephew.  As we were driving home that night, my oldest niece was sitting in the front of the van with me when the song "Just Say Jesus" by 7eventh Time Down came on the radio.  I could not stop weeping.  The reality of what we had just lived through hit hard.  

Much has happened since then.  Cars have been replaced or repaired.  Houses have been torn down or fixed.  Many have moved out of Gifford; hopefully some will return some day.  Thousands flooded the town for weeks after the tornado wanting to help lend a hand in any way they could.  Every time I hear that song on the radio I think about that day.  

"When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
Cause you’re too afraid to pray
Just say Jesus
Whisper it now or shout it out
However it comes out
He hears your cry
Out of nowhere he will come
You got to believe in it 
He will rescue you
Just call out to the way
The truth, the life

When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There is power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
Cause you’re afraid to pray
Just say Jesus
There is just one name
Strong enough to save
There is just one name
There is just one name
Jesus

When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There’s still power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
And you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus"

When I was afraid and did not know what to pray, I just said Jesus.  He heard me and protected me and my family.   Two houses down from my brother's the next two blocks are completely gone.  Even though many houses were destroyed, not a single person was killed.  That is a miracle.  I'm sure there were many people in town that day calling out to Jesus.  There were many stories of families whose houses were destroyed or totally blown away and yet no one in their house was harmed.  Just amazing stories.  

 

 I will never forget that day.  The sounds and sights will forever be etched in my memory. That day has changed my life.  All the little things seem so insignificant now.  I find myself thinking "this does not matter" more often now.  I constantly remind myself things could have turned out very differently that day.  I could have lost my daughters.  I could have lost my own life.  I could have lost any or all of my family members that were there that day.  But I didn't.  Jesus protected us all, and I thank Him for it every day!  

By Lisa Powell