The one about a tree...

Thank God hurricane season most often misses us! At weather.com I learned that our region hasn't been hit by a MAJOR hurricane in 169 years (if I remember correctly). Of course, we have had tropical storms hit us, and the outskirts of a hurricane. Just nothing catastrophic! Whew!

I had a strong feeling that Hanna wasn't going to be at all what she was being made out to be. For Hampton Roads, anway. And as she neared, the warnings lessened in severity. That didn't keep mobs from emptying WalMart's shelves, though. LOL.

Every strong wind that blows this way makes me pray about the dead tree in the yard of the neighbor behind me. It has a large trunk, is wrapped completely in ivy, and shoots out in two directions at it's middle... and it leans against the fence that separates our yards. It leans ONLY toward my house. No other direction.

I can count on strong gusts blowing several small to medium sized branches into my yard... toward my patio and sliding-glass back door. I have asked the nieghbor to the left several times to help me throw a chain around that tree, hook it to his truck, and put the pedal-to-the-medal. He is from the "real" south and loves any chance to shoot his guns, ride his motorcycle, wear his bandana... and make use of his truck! Despite many promises, though, the tree was left standing (leaning, rather).

Today, as Hanna lightly blew over our area, God was working a tiny storm in my backyard! And answering prayer! Collin came running upstairs, "Mom, mom. Stuff is falling in our yard!" I ran to see the tallest arm of the tree laying in the middle of the yard... measuring about nine feet long. It is about two feet from my patio. Praise God! If it has broken further down the trunk, istead of in the middle, it would have hit my house, broken my glass door.

As God had it, guys from Victory Home were working in the townhouse next door, and they came to the rescue. Picking up the branches that were sticking straight out of the ground, and all over the lawn. An hour later, our friend, Paul, arrives with a saw, and they start cutting it down for bulk trash pick-up.

Wouldn't you know... it gets better? The other arm of the tree - the one shooting up toward the east - is still there, and swaying more than before. Paul and I are discussing what to do about it... I want them to attempt the plan hatched with my neighbor because I know that any gust could send that thing right into my home. As we are reasoning it out... a long, strong wind blows through... and knocks the remaining top half of the tree to the ground, parallel to the fence. Martin (a VH client) barely gets out of the way!

It was something to behold. God knows that tree has been a concern of mine since I moved to this house three years ago. Every windy storm gave me pause. If the tree were to fall down from the roots, there was no doubt it would hit my house. Not only did God bring down the tree by a storm that didn't pose any real danger, but he had it happen when I already had friends around to help, and he kept off the rain so they could spend two hours cleaning up the mess! And the coolest answer to prayer... no damage was done to my home!

Today, God made it really easy to praise Him in the storm!