A Hurricane To Slow You Down

Keith looked at the tv a couple weeks back, saw the hurricane, looked at me and said “I don’t have a good feeling about this one”.

Last week saw us regularly watching the GFS and European models as they all continued to predict Charleston being not only in a path of danger, but the Category 5 hurricane coming straight towards us.

I saw concern on Keith’s face as he contemplated what would happen to our business and livelihood if Charleston saw total devastation.

Friends called me with warnings and concern which fueled my worry and caused me to take a hard long look at my fear.

Days had been spent deciding how we would evacuate if necessary, when to leave, and where would we go with 4 dogs, a rabbit and an 18 year old.  After arriving at dead ends with Christian camps and asking if they could accommodate our critters, we decided that Jared and I would pack the troops up in the Jeep and head back to Kentucky (the place I came from just prior to marrying Keith).

What should have been an easy 9 hour drive north, turned into a 12 hour haul with a pitbull repeatedly throwing up in the back of the Jeep due to car sickness. Enter stress.  It wasn’t enough to have the responsibility of 4 dogs, a rabbit and an 18 year old step son while Keith stayed behind shutting up our house and planning to stay in a hotel closer to home.

I woke up the next morning to the sounds of the bluegrass.  Peace entered into my heart.  My dogs ran around their field, there was a noticeable difference in the lack of humidity and I could breathe.    

Jared and I drove into the town that I lived in, La Grange.  I had the chance to show him my tiny little apartment in my tiny little town.  I drove him through the backroads, the horse farms, and through the rolling hills.  He loved it.  I loved it.   

While sitting on the back porch, our host commented that the thing she loved most about Kentucky was the freedom she had found.   There it was.  One little word that best described my four years of life while living there:  Freedom.   Freedom to breathe, to have endless back roads to explore, charm, mystery, adventure, and numerous creeks to jump into

 when the summer sun grew warm.

It took a hurricane, transporting 4 dogs and a rabbit to bring me to a quiet place for two fabulous days where I ignored my phone, kept my laptop in the bag, and left our businesses behind.

The hurricane may not have hit us directly head on, but I feel fairly confident that those moments spent breathing in that Kentucky air was God ordained divine rest for my soul.