“As I was caught under a wave, I would get tossed in the air for a brief second. Gasping for air, I would reach out my hand and desperately call for help at the person on the shore. Yet each time was a different person that meant very dearly to me, and they would solemnly stand there watching.”
Confused? So was I, when I was woken up at exactly 2:35AM, April 11th from having a very confusing nightmare. Startled by how uneasy I felt from my drowning encounter, I decided to write down my dream and fall back asleep knowing I had a long day ahead of me. Little did I know that It was going to be one of the longest days of my life…
While Austen, Sabrina, Kristina and I were in the movie theater with our two Thai friends Pool and Annie we could feel our chairs rocking back and forth. In all honesty I thought the person behind me was kicking my chair and I was getting rather annoyed. I continually kept looking back trying to figure out who was kicking my chair when the European man sitting next to me asked, “Is your chair moving too?” Not sensing anything wrong the Thai woman by him sat up said rather loud, “something isn't right” as the movie and lights went black. Once people were beginning to be confused Austen leaned over and whispered, “Guys, on the way here I had the vision of a Tsunami.” Being naive, I pushed Austen's words aside and foolishly only cared about getting my money back. Our emotions quickly shifted to fear when we walked out of the theater and saw people running like mad men out of the mall. People were crying, shouting, and even leaving behind their shoes. With concerned eyes we were told that we experienced the earthquake and a tsunami from Indonesia was on its way and that we must leave. Our surroundings were rapidly turning into chaos, not to mention our thoughts.
NO ONE TRAINED US FOR THIS
Pool and Annie quickly pulled on our arms as we sprinted out of the mall colliding into a stampede of people heading towards the mountain. None of us knew what to do or where to go so we stuck with our gut and followed the locals. It was discouraging not knowing what to do and trying our best to not get split up within the crowd. The roads became constrained with cars, motorbikes and people competing for space to drive over the hill. Survival mode was kicking in as the people were ferociously relying upon themselves by locking up their shops and gating off their hotels since everyone was frenzied looking for high ground. I remember not knowing if we had time to climb the mountain and wanting to fall on my knees looking at our only refuge; an abandoned, wall-less concrete building.
The roof of the building was filled with Thai locals along with families and couples on vacation from all over the world. Two Thai security guards quickly informed the rooftop that the tsunami was on its way and should be at Patong beach by six o'clock (which we were right by). My heart ached watching mothers try to hold back tears in front of their children and for the people who instantly wept on their spouse. It continued to break watching the Thai people carry suitcases up the mountain and remembering the story of how the people would sleep in trees for months after the tsunami of 2004 because of their fear. Not knowing what was going on within me, my team and I began to spread out and pray for each person on the roof. We prayed over Muslims who eagerly told us that whatever we prayed felt right, and over fifteen year olds that declared the word “Amen”, and over the Thai people who desperately longed for a real God that not only creates but calms the storm instead of being manifested by idols.
While helicopters circled in the sky a dishonest source yelled out to all of the rooftops in our area that the tsunami has hit Patong beach. Simultaneously with the gut wrenching news the building began to shake from the tremors right under my feet. People making goodbye calls and writing good bye letters to their loved ones made me think, “Okay God. This is it.” Holding hands with my three beloved sisters we shouted in worship on the top of our lungs. If we were going to walk through heavens gates, we wanted to do it together hand in hand. We held our friend Annie in our arms as she uncontrollably screamed and wept while watching the security guards hold on to the only cement poles with tears in their eyes. Death or not; that rooftop was a divine appointment by God. I believe in the depths of my heart that God heard our pleas and rescued His children from the storm. Reminiscing back on my dream earlier that morning, I couldn't help but believe that God wanted me to think I was going to die that day. Not because He is cruel but because He desperately longed for me to fully and completely trust in him and ONLY him for the first time in my life. No relationship, no family member or friend could save me from a tsunami and the storms within my heart. ONLY GOD, MY SAVIOR CAN DO THAT! For the first time in my life I laid behind my insecurities and chains and gave them to the Lord KNOWING that He was the only one who could save me. I walked off of that rooftop with a new declared freedom and authority that was no longer embarrassed to shout the words of Jesus swelling inside my heart. I no longer have to put my worth and trust in other people helplessly waiting upon shore, but to be rescued from the miry depths of fear and walk into pure, redeemed FREEDOM.
