El Camino – The Way (storm damage photos)

We had some bad storms come through Easter Sunday. We were out of electricity from Sunday night through Thursday night.

One of the neighbor’s tree – or what’s left of it.

We’re all safe. Our house, the henhouse, my cat’s run, everything is okay.  And everyone is okay.

Another of our neighbor’s trees – or what’s left of it.

I was outside bringing my plants inside right before the storm. I was on my way inside when I heard a noise that sounded like a freight train. I thought it was a tornado coming, so we headed inside. And then we lost power.

It went over and we could hear the snapping and a few loud crashes. These trees no longer have tops – and I haven’t found them yet. They are just gone. I guess they were blown away.

We heard one crash in which there was a definite sound of metal. Dad thought a tree fell on his workshop, but the shop was fine. Then I knew what happened.

I’ve been praying for the past year or so that the dead tree near my grandpa’s El Camino wouldn’t fall and crush it before we could try to have the dead tree taken care of. We hoped to restore it.

And then this storm happened. God answered my prayer – I prayed specifically, and He answered! He is good.

How did He answer, you wonder? The car indeed looks crushed. Well… the car IS crushed. Do you see the tree in the center of this photo? The one standing? The one with the bark damaged? THAT is the dead tree. It’s still standing.

The tree that crushed the car was over 100 years old – and very much alive. It’s an oak too. I thought those trees were strong, but it was uprooted.

My heart is still as crushed as the car is, but I’m grateful that it was the only damage. It could have been so much worse! We lost several other trees – snapped or uprooted – but they didn’t smash anything.

“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:14)

The car was named “The Way” (el camino in Spanish means “the way” or “the path”) but there is only one true Way – and that is Jesus. The only Way. He leads to life. And He protected us from the storm. It was just a car, even though I was attached to it. It won’t make it through the fire – I can’t take it with me. And it isn’t The Way.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

I’m determined to keep my eyes on the True Way. The One who protected us during the storms. He is good! ❤