Disaster!

Yesterday was an amazing day in Dallas, Texas. In a matter of hours we had dozens of tornadoes pass through our cities. Hundreds of homes destroyed, but thankfully no one was killed.

The stories told of the day are fascinating. One grandmother held onto her grandchild's feet as the tornado pulled him away. She won that day and held onto him, saving his life. Another elderly woman told of her house coming apart around her as she prayed, "help me Jesus, help me Jesus!"

Tornadoes are so random, so unpredictable. The weatherman this morning said they didn't expect the day to unfold as it did. It completely surprised him. Disaster and changes in our lives are like that. They destroy one home and life while leaving the next untouched. Why? Why did one family lose everything while the next was untouched? I don't know.

In the midst of a day like we had here it gives me pause to think about why we were spared while others lost everything. The question I asked myself was this, "If I had lost everything how would I have responded?" Do I cling to my things? Do I hold the world too tightly? Is my life and identity tied to the things I have accumulated? How would I respond if I lost everything?

I don't know for sure, but I hope my response would be one of praise and thanks to God that he cared for us even as we lose all we have here. Disasters are clarifying. They clarify what is important to us. They focus our vision on what we have most valued. No one wants a disaster, but those who have survived them have a new clarity of what's really important.