For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.
Matthew 18:20
Today one of the big Texas storms rolled through Tarrant county. We received the warnings earlier in the day, and all the church activities for the evening were rescheduled for another day. When we got home, my husband and I walked around our property to make sure we had nothing outside that could be blown away by the strong winds. At around 5:30 pm, I could see the dark storm approaching from the east out of my kitchen window. My anxiety was rising with each minute.
For the last three weeks, my son has been asking us many questions about storms and tornadoes. Each time I tried to answer honestly but also affirm that we were safe in our house, at the church, or his school. When the wind and the rain started drumming on our windows, I could see the fear and anxiety in his eyes. He was looking at my husband and me for the assurance that we were safe. I masked my own worries with a smile and got him busy with some school project.
But the worries were flooding my mind – will we be ok, will the house be ok, will the people we know and care for be ok? Without even thinking, I turned on a Christian radio station. Listening to the songs I have known for years and sang at our Gathering worship service calmed my spirit. I cooked dinner, humming along. The songs were often interrupted by weather alerts. I listened, and I prayed for the towns around us, for the people I know who live in those areas. And then the songs returned, and my prayer would turn back to the familiar songs.
The storm is over. We are ok.
And I am so grateful that I was not alone in this storm. My child found comfort in my presence, I found comfort in the voices of my favorite Christian bands, and I leaned into the strength of God in my prayers. Our faith becomes real when we share life with others. God’s kingdom draws closer to us when we remove the barriers that keep us apart and through praise and prayer draw closer to each other.
God bless,
Rev. Zhenya Gurina-Rodriguez, PhD
Associate Pastor of Grace Groups & Discipleship
