Tornadoes

Tornadoes and violent storms raked through North Texas on Tuesday, crumbling the wing of a nursing home, peeling roofs from dozens of homes and spiraling big-rig trailers into the air like footballs. You probably saw pictures on the national news. Preliminary estimates indicate as many as 12 tornadoes touched down in North Texas.  Many of the tornadoes were "rain wrapped" which means it was raining so hard that it was impossible to see the tornado coming.

 Hail the size of baseballs came with the rain. 

So many people were protected from injury because the sirens worked (doesn't always happen),

 people paid attention to the weather reports (doesn't always happen), 

and people responded and went to their safe places (doesn't always happen).  

Schools and businesses went to"lock down" to keep people safe.

There are so many stories about how people rode out the storm.  

One lady told me she was in Central Market buying groceries.  

The manager locked the doors and sent everyone to storage lockers.

You make friends quickly in a storage locker! 

 The schools were on "lock down" with nervous parents at home or work unable to get to their kids. 

I saw Kate's teacher yesterday at the grocery.  She said the kids were so good.  

She read a book to them while they spent more than 2 hours in their safe place.  

They had practiced "duck and cover" and the kids knew just where to go and what to do. 

 My favorite story is of a church preschool.  

The pastor of the church led 83 kids, holding hands. 

and singing Jesus Loves Me to an enclosed classroom 

in a protected area of the church.  

When they came out after the storm the church was essentially gone.  

The only thing standing was that classroom. 

The storms hop up and down.  Hitting one neighborhood and skipping another. 

This was my backyard after the storm. 

We got nothing but a really hard rain and some hail. 

Compare it to the picture above.

The storms came through on Tuesday. 

Wednesday was a beautiful sunny day

as if nothing had happened!

A nineteenth century nun, St. Therese wrote this simple prayer.

"May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received,

and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, 

and allow your soul the freedom to

sing, dance, praise, and love.

It is there for each and every one of us." 

May your soul have the freedom

to sing, dance, praise and love!

"Count your blessings.

Name them one by one!"

(from the old Baptist hymnal of my childhood)