It was a Saturday night and I was at a friends house. There was talk about a big storm that was coming. In Northwest Ohio we get a lot of "talk" like that. I remember being down in my friends basement and we were watching the news and it said that a funnel cloud was forming over Lime City Rd.(Which is not very far from where I live) I got the usual upset stomach, because I HATE storms especially ones with the possibility of a Tornado. Anyways the storm ended up passing and on the news they said that a Tornado had touched down and had ripped through Lake High School and Milbury. I remember hearing it and my heart just sinking down to the pit of my stomach. A lot of people from my church family are from Milbury. On Facebook people were posting on what just had happened. The church was hit, people were missing, it was just a big mess. That night I wanted to get into my car and help just help anyone, but we couldn't because there were power lines down and no electricity plus there was another storm on it's way. That night I prayed, I prayed so hard that everyone I knew would be safe, and that there would be no lives taken from this horrible storm.
I ended up falling asleep around 6 am after I heard from most of my friends. I woke up at 8 and got ready to go to church. On the news I was watching they said that there was a family missing: Ryan and Mary Walters. When I heard this I called my friend and asked her if she heard from anybody about Ryan and Mary missing. She said she didn't and that she was going to meet at the church and help with a search party and clean up because one of her girls from Youth her father was missing. I told her to call me when she heard anything at all. As I was on my way to my friend RPD's house I just prayed. It was an Erie drive over to his house. Everything seemed to have stopped in time. When I got to his house I saw his mom and we just stood there and hugged and cryed together.
On the way to Elmore it was a sad drive. I got to see the destruction that the Tornado did and it's path that it took. I can still remember seeing the grief on peoples faces as we passed by and seeing some of their homes destroyed. There was a good song playing on the radio it was "Hold Us Together" by Matt Maher. (Every time I hear that song it takes me back to that day) It was a quiet drive and I felt bad for RPD because he was trying to comfort me as I was sitting their with tears running down my face, I just couldn't stop them. We got to the church and that's when I got the phone call. They had found Ryan, Mary, Hayden and Maddie. Mary had passed away on the way to the hospital and they couldn't find Hayden. Ryan was in critical condition and Maddie was also in critical condition. After I hung up the phone I started crying (Thank you for being there to give me a hug and just let me cry RPD) I had lost a great friend. I couldn't sit in church so RPD and I sat there and after prayer requests we went to help do some clean up. On the way to clean up I found out that little Hayden had been found and he had passed away. The emotions I was feeling were a mix of everything. See The Walters were followers of Christ, devoted Christians. I worked with Mary and she taught me how to live a life as a Christian in this dark world. She was an amazing women and I am so glad that I got to know her when she was here on earth. My friend RPD and I ended up cleaning a ladies yard that was right behind the Walters house. I found Maddies bible. I clenched on to it and kept it till I saw Amy (who is Mary's sister) God spoke to me a lot during that clean-up and he wrapped his loving arms around me. Ryan ended up passing away a week after Mary and Hayden were buried. Maddie though LIVED she survived that horrible storm. God sure has a plan for that little girl. I saw Maddie the other week and she ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug. I always got hugs from Maddie and Mary as we would pass each other going to church. It makes me so glad that I believe I am going to go to Heaven when I pass. One of the last memories I have with Mary is when I told her what God was doing in my life and how I was starting a girls bible study at the church that I was going to and how I was so excited about what God was doing in my life. Mary was so happy and I remember she gave me a HUGE hug and said "God's going to use you in amazing ways Meggie and I can't wait to see it unfold." I gave her another big hug and told her that I loved her and I was thankful that she was in my life. I never thought that just a few weeks from then God was going to take her. The impact on all the lives that Mary, Ryan and even Hayden had on everyone. They trusted in Jesus and I know that they are in Heaven right now smiling down and watching over their precious little girl Maddie Moo.
This is a picture of Mary and Hayden (This is such a great picture because HD loved his momma)
This is Ryan and HD (Ryan enjoyed running this is a race that they did together)
Please don't waste another moment being mad instead LOVE. Give more hugs and smile often. You don't know how long you have on this earth.
