Weathering the Storms
Finding refuge in ordinary moments
Welcome to Walk & Talk, my monthly offering to share stories, inspiration, and hope. I’m Kim Knowle-Zeller, mama, pastor, and writer. I’ve lived in West Africa and one summer hiked 500 miles across Spain, and now I call Cole Camp, MO home with my husband, two children, and dog. I love to walk, talk, and share stories. Thanks for being here!
9:30 PM Saturday night: We should be camping, but instead we’re home. The kids are asleep (finally) and Stephen and I are checking our phones and weather apps for updates. Rather than ride out potential storms and tornadoes in the camper, we came home from the campsite. The camper, however, remained so we could return in the morning.
9:45 PM: Stephen gets a text from a member of the church. She was contacted by someone riding a school bus home from a baseball game that would have been heading directly into the eye of the storm. Do you know anywhere we could stop in Cole Camp to stay safe?
10:00 PM: A busload of high school baseball players unloads outside the church. They’re followed by a caravan of cars with parents and friends. Stephen walks over to unlock the door so they can take cover inside. It’s dark and windy, but no rain. Our kids are still asleep.
10:15 PM: A warning buzzer on our phone alerts us to the tornado warning in our area. Stephen and I look at each other but we’re still slow and hesitant to wake the kids and head over to church ourselves for safety. Without our own basement the church is our safest place in case of tornadoes.
10:17 PM: The town tornado sirens start blaring. We no longer hesitate. We grab shoes and clothes for the kids. We get Charlotte out of bed. We get Isaac halfway dressed before he finally wakes. We get Charlotte out of bed again after she drowsily wandered back to her room. We take the dog with the kids and rush over to church. As we enter under the canopy a group of highschoolers look to the west waiting to spot the tornado. The siren continues to wail its ear-piercing warning so we barely can hear one another.
Walking to the basement we find the halls lined with students and their parents. They’re wrapped in blankets, texting their family back home, and, like us, waiting for the all clear. My friends and I text updates. We’re all in different places, yet somehow it feels like we’re all together.
For less than a few hours one night the church embodied it’s name: refuge.
We most likely will never see those parents and baseball team again, yet together we literally weathered a storm. Our hearts were beating in fear and uncertainty, but somehow calmed by the presence of another.
“When we’re in the middle of an overwhelming crisis, we often do what we can to stay breathing in the moment. The presence of another heart beating next to us can make all the difference as we try to metabolize the pain.” (Every Season Sacred,
).Eventually the sirens stopped shouting into the sky and we were issued an all clear. One by one we ventured back to either cars, buses, or homes.
It’s only May and tornado season is starting. Who knows if we’ll find ourselves back in the basement with friends and strangers again. (Since first starting this piece, yes, we did have another trip to the church basement!) But what I do know is that storms will come and go.
Whatever storms you are living through — loss and grief, a new diagnosis, wrestling with your vocation, questioning your faith — may you find another soul to sit with you, to have their heart beat next to yours, and in the silence and darkness hear God whisper to you: you are not alone.
A few other things to help weather the storms
What can we learn from the stories our kids love? In my latest for
, I tell how Charlotte’s heroine (the Italian fencer Bebe) taught us both what it means to embody strength and courage:“Maybe the nighttime reading of Bebe’s story, the years of speech therapy, and the times watching Charlotte ride her horse aren’t only about her. Beneath the surface, these are also stories of a mother.
A mother who worries and rails in frustration. A mother who desperately wants to be assured all will be well. A mother who wants to feel and know God’s presence is with her. A mother who is learning to trust.
A mother who wants to spread her arms and close her eyes and feel the wind rush through her hair, hearing the words: you are not alone.”
Read the rest here: Mothers, Daughters, and Stories of Courage.
by Laura Fanucci tells how “Jesus never follows a formula. Sometimes he heals the spirit. Sometimes he cures the body. Sometimes he touches. Sometimes he speaks. Always the person before him is changed. Read the full essay: Only say the word.
With Mother’s Day coming up, I’d be remiss to not mention that The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years makes a wonderful gift for the mama in your life. Drop it off with a coffee gift card to a new mom, or leave it the diaper bag at church. Gift it to the new families in your congregation or share it with your mom’s group.
The Beauty of Motherhood is thoughtfully written and full of honest and relatable stories about early motherhood. Kim and Erin offer the gift of encouragement for moms who might be feeling alone or isolated in their mothering journey. They humbly share the lessons they've learned, while inviting new moms into the hopes they have for their children. This is a wonderful gift for new moms - one they can pick up and read for 5-minutes at a time while they rock their babies to sleep. -Amazon Review
What I’m Reading:
Scythe by Neal Shusterman was my local book club pick. If you enjoyed the Hunger Games, you’ll love Scythe. This is a YA dystopian series (I’ve already placed book 2 on hold!) about a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death.
This past month I also read Kate DiCamillo’s latest book, Ferris; and Rachel Joyce’s The Love Song of Miss Quennie Hennessy which is the follow-up to another delightful book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
Next up for anyone who has thoughts or would like to chat: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.
What I’m Eating
This baked ziti was delicious and made a double batch so I had one for us and one to give away.
Ice cream in a bag? Yes, please! Isaac read a book about this method so we tried it ourselves and what a treat! I just googled “ice cream in a bag” and this recipe definitely delivered within 15 minutes.
“Every day do something that won’t compute.” -Wendell Berry
Everyday do something that won’t compute
give a compliment and expect nothing in return
sit, no lie, in the grass
gaze at the sky
count the clouds and listen to the whisper of the wind
have full conversations with the finches and doves
sing along with the chorus of frogs at night
bake bread, cookies, and muffins
leave on doorsteps and in cars
say “I love you”
offer forgiveness
make friends with your enemy.
turn up the music and dance
eat ice cream for breakfast and dinner
say “yes” over and over again
believe in miracles and answered prayers
trust they are true and right on time.
So grateful for you, friend! I’ve been writing this monthly newsletter for four years! It’s an honor to know you’re reading my words. It’s a joy to be connected and hear your stories. I hope we can continue to walk and talk for years to come.
P.S. I have a favor for those of you who have read The Beauty of Motherhood. Would you be willing to write an Amazon review? They are so helpful for getting others to know about our book! Anyone can review on Amazon whether you’ve bought the book from them or not. Thank you!
“Beneath the surface, these are also stories of a mother.
A mother who worries and rails in frustration. A mother who desperately wants to be assured all will be well. A mother who wants to feel and know God’s presence is with her. A mother who is learning to trust.”
This has so much impact. And such a tender interpretation of the weathering situation, beautiful. So glad you are safe; sending love and light through this intense weather season!
Loved this! So much truth!! And I’m SO glad you’re okay. Praying for continued safety. 💗