are you still standing when the tornadoes blow your house down?

I spent the evening watching the extended newscasts about the Moore, Oklahoma tornado. People professing their faith in Jesus when behind them their home is leveled. Newscasters repeating what people have said about their faith in God in spite of loss. People helping people, living out the scripture about how we are to treat people. I am not usually blessed by newscasts, tonight I was.

Not every tornado we go through in life is caused by the weather however. I have met many people who have endured tornadoes and are still standing when everything about their life is in ruin. I have met many people who have endured the storms of life and have given up. They walk away from their faith, the church, the Word and it is interesting how it not only effects their walk with Christ, but also their walk in every aspect of life.

I have personally been devestated by a tornado. Everything in my life was uprooted and doomed for the heavy duty machinery to come in and scoop everything for the landfill. I had two choices. I could curse the situation I found myself in OR I could bless God for the new opportunity I had to prove Him faithful, just and merciful.

I learned so many things in the midst of my personal tornado. I learned that I love Him most of all. Although I couldn't see the "why" I could see that I was still in His mind. I learned that people are wicked and make deliberate, destructive choices so I had to learn to pray for my enemies for I have been an enemy at times. I wanted the same mercy. I learned that my mouth could bless or curse. My mouth was speaking what was really in my heart. Yes I learned not to give the tornado any more power in my mind. I learned to control what took residence in my mind and heart. It had to be Jesus and His word, not the tornado. I also learned that when you are "gutted" the wound heals over and the scar tissue remains. The scar tissue doesn't have to hurt. It just has to remain for memory sake. My memory can hold this truth, "If it had not been for the Lord on my side, where would I be?" I learned that people who know you, love you. People who know you, trust you. People who know you still remain the people that go through with you, regardless.

Tornadoes are always destructive. How you rebuild what was destroyed takes much effort, much patience, and a faith that all will be right again. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That is what I know.