Bad Storms

     I've been through two tornados in my life.  These two tornados came within about a quarter mile of where I was.  The first time came when I was visiting my grandparents in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  I remember the clouds began to look ominous and then the emergency sirens went on in my grandparents apartment building. My Mom and I looked out to see what was going on, and there was a tornado on the the ground in the city headed our way.  We all took shelter inside the apartment as best we could and prayed. A little later we went out and could see that the tornado just missed the building.  The tornado was still on the ground and you could hear it destroying homes and businesses.  I think that was about an EF-4 tornado.
     The second time a tornado came near me, I was at home with my dog Toby.  A tornado warning was issued for the county where I live, so I got Toby and the two of us headed down into the little storm shelter behind the house. I pulled the door shut and the two of us huddled together waiting for the storm to pass.  What a terrible storm it was. We had huge hail that broke up the garden and smashed up cars. The wind blew fiercely and knocked down a couple of trees in town. While this was going on, Toby and I just stayed together and waited .  I was never afraid when the two of us were together. The storm passed and we emerged. Thankfully, the tornado lifted up in the air and passed to the northwest of town.
     I'm praying for those in my area suffering from what the storms have done.  Pray for the people of Joplin and Sedalia Missouri, and the people of Reading Kansas.  May God be with you all in this difficult time.