The Vision That Calmed the Storm

CBN.com As national weather reports began to circulate one Sunday night August 1992, me and my wife, Nedra, had reason for concern. Nedra's mother and brother, Mrs. Talley and Craig, were in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area. Weather forecasters had predicted that a terrible hurricane was about to hit the coast there.

Nedra's repeated attempts to phone her family were futile. All of the lines were busy as many people made desperate calls to check on relatives and friends. She paced and prayed, her anxiety growing as Hurricane Andrew approached the shore. But Florida was more than a thousand miles from our home in Virginia, and there was nothing that Nedra or I could do. Finally, after watching weather reports into the early morning hours, we went to bed.

While I slept, I had a dream in which I saw Mrs. Talley and Craig huddled in a room, the wind roaring around them. Plaster and debris were falling on them. They were obviously afraid, yet nothing seemed to be hurting them. It was as if they were encased in a bubble of protection. It appeared as a stream of light pouring over the pair as they crouched in the corner of the room. I also saw a man in a policeman's uniform standing nearby.

The next day, stark reports surfaced regarding the storm's aftermath. Many homes were destroyed in the area where Nedra's family lived. Apparently all that remained was rubble.

Of course, Nedra wanted to leave for Florida right away, but we had no idea where her mother and brother were. All we could do was wait. After two days that seemed like an eternity, a phone call came, assuring us that Mrs. Talley and Craig were safe. Then Nedra's mother herself called. We left for Florida immediately.

Upon reaching the Talley's neighborhood, we were shocked at the devastation. Finding Nedra's mother and brother in the midst of the chaos would be a miracle in itself. Nothing looked familiar as we drove through the debris-littered streets of the battered neighborhood. I prayed for guidance, and soon we saw them standing in a yard several streets from their own home.

Later, we located what remained of Nedra's mother's house. Amazingly, I recognized the room I had seen in my dream. Viewing the wreckage, we were convinced that only a miracle protected Nedra's mother and brother from the storm's fury. I realized that the stream of light in my dream represented the prayers for protection over Nedra's family, and the policeman was likely an angel standing guard over the situation that night. As Nedra and I prayed in Virginia, God was providing the answer in Florida.

Dreams and visions are one way God can let us know that He has everything under control. More frequently, He speaks to us through His Word in times of distress and danger. But prayer is often the best thing -- sometimes the only thing -- we can do when circumstances seem overwhelming. Jesus knew that the route to His Father's heart was through prayer. As He faced the Cross, and the horror of torture and death, He prayed:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42, NIV).

You have the same options and source of peace that Nedra, I, and Jesus did. When things are beyond your control, you can attempt to take charge of the situation yourself, guaranteeing failure. Or you can go to God, trusting Him with the final outcome, thus guaranteeing success.

Based on a CBN Radio interview aired on October 14, 1992. Used by permission of Scott Ross.