twisted

"My office is totally gone. Probably for two to three blocks, it's just leveled," he said. "The building that my office was in was not flimsy. It was 30 years old and two layers of brick. It was very sturdy and well built."

So said an unnamed survivor of the tornado that ripped a gash in Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 90 people this last Sunday, May 22nd. As we sat glued to the weather radar on tv, that was experiencing intermittent rain fade, there were no less than 2 tornado warnings and 5 watches in the mid-Missouri area at one time. When lightning struck the tv station and knocked it off line for about 10 minutes we were flipping back and forth between two other inferior channels. I sat there and reveled at how out-of-control we are. We can build and struggle and fight and labor to create our own destiny and no matter how well we build it, it can all be wiped away in an instant.

In an instant we can realize what's really important and what is secondary. Psalms 127:1 says "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain". Many things can rip apart relationships, marriages and churches, but, if those things are established by God, nothing can tear them apart. Hardships can come and bad things happen, but, God is constant, God is love.

My heart goes out to those who suffered loss on Sunday and I pray they find all the survivors and I pray that God will comfort them and restore them.