But for His Grace

I have watched the weather reporters talking about the tornadoes that swept through Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oklahoma yesterday and today.  Over 100 people lost their lives in Missouri, and many are missing.  The pictures looked eerily similar to the pictures of the devastation from the Tuscaloosa tornado last month that killed over 30 people.

As I look at these pictures, my heart goes out to those affected by these traumatic events.  To see mangled cars, flattened homes, blown out windows, personal effects scattered for miles...I just can't fully fathom what it must be like to lose everything in a matter of minutes.

I walk through my undisturbed home and try to picture what it would look like if a tornado struck my neighborhood.  What would it be like to look across and down the street and not see my neighbors' homes, wondering if they are ok?  How panicked would I be to not be able to call my family to determine if they had survived?  I wonder how I would react if my clothes, files, pictures, furniture, etc. were strewn around the neighborhood.  I rarely carry cash, so how would I purchase necessities without access to my debit and credit cards or prove who we are to the bank without our ID's?  Without policy information, how could we inform our insurance companies (home, car) about our loss?  How would I get around if our cars were smashed or tossed about (there's no bus service in my neighborhood)?  Where would we stay?  I'm sure our families would let us stay with them, but that doesn't answer the question of where we would stay, especially if their homes were damaged, too.

Lord, but for Your grace, I don't have to answer these questions because my neighborhood was spared, again.  My family and friends have been spared from this devastation.  But for Your grace, I've not lived through a Hurricane Katrina, a tsunami, an earthquake, a flood nor a fire.  I've been spared from sooooo much!  I'm grateful, Lord.  Please Father, have mercy on those who have been in harm's way, who even now in Joplin, MO are facing dangerous conditions with the threat of another tornado.  Lord, place it on the hearts of those of us who have been spared to help by sending donations to the Red Cross.

How You Can Help

The Red Cross estimates that it will spend as much as $41 million responding to the disasters that have affected the country since March 31, and to date, about $33.6 million has been raised in donations for these responses.  Those who want to help can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. This gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS; you can also text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to local American Red Cross chapters or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. 

I'm placing our check in the mail tomorrow with the hopes that my husband's company matching fund will match our donation.  Pray and ask God what you can do to help.  But for His grace, it could be us in need!