The other day, as I was laying in our little Louisiana house nursing the baby, the sky decided to open up with one of those storms my granddad would’ve called a “real gully washer.” Thunder rolled, lights flickered, and before I knew it, my husband had dragged out our boom box. (It looks old school, but really, it’s just pretending—it’s the hipster of boom boxes.)
Photo of above mentioned boom box still in front of the window.
Sure enough, the weather alert tone blared, followed by the words no one in the South likes to hear: “Tornado Warning.”We started calmly discussing where we’d go if the twister spun our way—because that’s what responsible parents of six are supposed to do. But right in the middle of our serious storm-prep talk, Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” blasted out of the speakers.
Now, listen—I am not above some Katy Perry car jams. But as I sat there, nursing my youngest, I couldn’t help but sigh:
“Great. I’m gonna die in a trailer in Louisiana with my boob out, listening to Katy Perry.”
My husband did that thing guys do—you know the head shake plus half chuckle combo—the one that says, “You’re being overdramatic, but I kinda love you for it.”
Thankfully, the storm blew through as fast as it came, the baby didn’t even stir, and life went on.
Later that afternoon, as I waited in the carpool line, I spotted a man walking down the road in the drizzle. No umbrella. No car. Just walking. And in that moment, I realized how ridiculously blessed I am.
Here I was, grumbling about tornado warnings and pop songs, when the truth is I was sitting in a warm home earlier, holding a healthy baby, with a husband who loves us enough to make sure we’re safe.
It reminded me of Philippians 4:11–12:
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…”
And honestly, that’s the heart check I needed. Tornado warnings, Katy Perry, chaos and all—God’s goodness doesn’t change.
So, if you ever find yourself in a storm, literal or figurative, remember Psalm 46:1:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Even if your soundtrack in that moment is Katy Perry.