The dawn is breaking and it’s like the birds know what’s going on.

My phone too has been making lots of noise- sirens and alerts, text messages and phone calls- making plans for the long haul- incredulous at what we’re seeing in Iran, preparing for what we need to survive here.

The home front command told us to get ready, so my hero husband ran down the block and picked up one of my siblings whose spouse is in miluim, and the babies, and to the market to get provisions for several days in the bomb shelter.

That was not a fun way to wake up, the blaring of a siren we had never heard before, warning of “extreme situation.”

It took an hour before my heart calmed down.

We’ve all been preparing for this scenario for a long time now. We’ve been talking about it for twenty years.

We’ve got waters and non perishables, wind up radios and laterns.

After several hours of frenetic preparation between us and our neighbors- we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.

My body is alert, trying to regulate.

We shut off all the lights again to put everyone to sleep till it’s time. The kids, the babies, the dog, the teens.

I just rocked my 6 month old niece to sleep in my arms, and sang her “vihakadosh Baruch hu, matzileinu miyadam…” God will save us.

As he’s saved us before.

So now I sit and wait as the light climbs higher in the sky.

Waiting for updates from the news, from my brothers in the army, from the home front command.

I believe in miracles.

We’re watching them happen in real time.

I believe with absolute faith that God is in control.

May this bring us ever closer to the redemption we have been waiting for.

Am Yisrael chai.