Showing posts with label tornado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tornado. Show all posts

Friday, June 6, 2008

Rising from Destruction, Part 2

My friend Beth stopped by to see me at work today with her two beautiful daughters. Laughing, giggling, Beth looking tanned and rested, her blue eyes as huge and awesome as ever, one would never know she and her family had lost everything in the tornado last week. Well, everything except each other. Her calm was astounding to me - "It is what it is" she shrugged, as she told me of the love and outpouring that they have received from friends, family, and community. "We never found Jenna's dresser..." "The neighbor's car was blown right through our house..." She was so matter-of-fact, it just stunned me. I asked about her wedding rings she had lost; she had left them on her dresser when they left for the weekend. FOUND! After sifting through piles of insulation and debris with gloves, one handful at a time, she found them. I got goosebumps. As she told me of the kindnesses extended by her priest and friends, I was the one crying (?). Truly she has turned this whole thing over to God. She is noticibly humbled and grateful and at peace. It shows. But with her family intact, I guess she has reason to be. God bless you, friend. I'm so glad you're safe. I miss seeing you often and we never got around to discussing it, but yes, I still pick the blood vessels out of my meat and I think about Country Fried Steak every payday Thursday.
Oh no, You never let go....how true.
Tea tonight: Sweet Sakura

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Rising from Destruction

My heart and prayers go out to the hundreds, no thousands, of people whose lives were torn apart, turned upside down, and tossed as many as 150 miles away by an F-5 tornado on Sunday, just 20 miles away from us. The pictures and stories of survival that are emerging are simply amazing. I'm sure many of these people are wondering WHY?, while many of them just forge ahead and do what needs to be done. Homes and trees that flourshed for decades were stripped from the land, leaving piles of matchsticks and sheer destruction. To those who have lost everything, I say, have faith in God who has given you the strength to rebuild, to carry on. May 25, 2008 was planned by Him long before you were on this earth. He will be there with you as you forge ahead - more resilient and hopefully more faithful than ever.
Matthew 6:25-34

Tea tonight: Imperial Dragonwell Lung Ching