It was a normal morning. Dark still at 5:50am and VERY muggy outside. Well, the muggy part is not normal for this week...that should've been my first sign.
But, it wasn't.
I put on my running clothes, to ready myself for a 5-miler to get the day going. I love these morning runs, so I was all stretched and ready, and off I go.
WAIT.
It's still a little dark outside. ( and it's not safe for me to run in the dark....) so I thought to myself, maybe I just need to give it about 5-10 minutes. Let it lighten up a little.
So, natural, the whole house is asleep, so I flip up the laptop, to check facebook :)
And, my friend Virginia 's status said :
She had no idea.
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So, she lives about 15 minutes away.
How weird.
Why would her tornado sirens be going off?
hmmm..
weird.
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Then, I clicked on her wall, to see if it said anything else. Nope. Normal stuff.
Back to Facebook home.
Where 2 other people had mentioned the sirens.
WHAT?! VERY weird.
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So, I turn the news on, looking for my favorite weather man, James Spann. And, I always know if he is on, then it's for real.
So, he was NOT on. I sat there watching the weather, wondering if it was even close, or what.
Still stretching my legs. Running shoes on. Watching. Deciding.
Then, my status:
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It's almost as if God said "Hey, stubborn, it's legit"
Because within seconds, here comes James Spann, dashing in like a super hero, with his Mac Book Pro, ready to get this weather news out to the masses.
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Needless to say, I sat and watched. (and eventually, took my running shoes off)
The sky turned dark. The wind picked up. The leaves whistled as they flew across the yard.
The thunder boomed, and the next thing we knew....... (when I would have been at about mile 3....out where it was too far to get home)
Major devastation hit our city. Not my home. Not my family. We are all safe. Praise the Lord.
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The rest of the day would bring MORE storms. and More rain. And not just devastation, but just simple tragedy.
Thousands upon thousands of homes destroyed, and the death toll makes my stomach turn just to think about it.
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But, our sweet Sweet Home Alabama has already begun work relief efforts, and the communities are in full recovery & restoration mode.
I love the thought of people helping people. Not with an agenda, but honestly, with a thankful heart.
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I never did get my run in! And, I was totally ok with that.