Amy was at work in the mall when the tornado hit Joplin. Though the mall was outside the path of the tornado, her home was not. As the news trickled in, she quickly learned that their home was dead center.
While Amy was working, her husband Matt was at home with
their two children. As he looked out their back door, there was no doubt that
trouble was coming and Matt needed to get the kids to the safest place in their
home.
It was an interesting decision he had to make. Their house
was unusual in Joplin, because it had a basement. This would usually be
considered a safe place. Another option is to go to the bathtub. Matt
deliberately chose another location – a very small closet in the bathroom.
It was a decision that saved their lives.
As soon as they got into the closet, the tornado hit. The
bathtub was one of the first things to go (they never did find it!). The
tornado continued to batter the house and soon, it would dissolve and collapse.
After a few minutes, what was left of the house collapsed into the basement,
including the closet in which Matt and the children were huddled.
As the storm passed, Matt and the children literally crawled
out of the debris of what used to be their home. Stunned and not knowing what
to do, they began to walk.
In the meanwhile, Amy was rushing home. Unable to get her
car any further because of the devastation, she abandoned it and ran several
blocks to her house in high heels. When
she arrived to where their house used to be, it was a moment of panic. There
was so much destruction, she was not even sure which house was theirs. As she narrowed down her location choices,
she began picking through the debris and calling out their names. But there was
no answer.
This was not a time of sorrow though, at least not yet. Her
family was missing and she was going to find them. "Please Lord, let me find them."
I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.
Psalm 120.1 (NIV)
More of Matt & Amy's story coming!
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