Weathering Life

When the news of the Oklahoma tornado came through yesterday morning, and I started to hear (in particular) about the parents screaming out the names of their children as they ran to the school that had been so completely devastated, I felt my heart break a little.  The United States has been doing it tough lately, with storms, shootings, explosions and tornadoes, and I know there are towns all over the world going through equally or even more devastating experiences every day.

As these events occur, I find myself glued to the news reports during the day, and ticking things over in my mind at night. Like many, I have a faith in God that pulls me through the hard times in my life.  But regardless of whether you believe or not - there are few things as uplifting and comforting as hearing about the ways that people reach out to each other with things seem overwhelming.



I particularly enjoyed this article by Jason F Wright this morning:

Like many of you, I’ve watched hours of the live coverage broadcast from mountains of rubble and rippled asphalt parking lots. Stories are emerging of friends, neighbors and strangers saving lives. ... As the anecdotes roll in, I wonder why it sometimes takes such tragedy for our hearts to fully engage with one another. Does it seem we’re all a little kinder after school shootings, marathon bombings and natural disasters? Don’t we love our fellowmen on the good days, too?

We’ve seen recovery footage featuring volunteers climbing up and around dangerous piles of rubble that appear as if they might collapse like a Jenga tower. Their bravery reminds us that God could do this work if he wanted to, but he expects us to be his hands.

We know he could pull people from trapped cars, put out fires or carry a stranger’s body from ruins to a resting place. No, he doesn't need our help — he wants it.

Heartbreak of this EF-4 magnitude tornado teaches us that our Father in heaven is a God of perfect miracles, but often the day-to-day heavenly miracles come through imperfect, earthly hands.

We know that tragedies only teach us if we allow ourselves to learn from them. Perhaps the tragedies of the past few months have reminded us that the best way to honor those who’ve lost their lives is to be more kind, more patient and more loving.

And with all of this in mind, I came across a really wonderful story on Facebook that is definitely worth a watch.  It's a quieter example of how tragedy and hard times can bring out the best in us and actually enhance our lives.  Zach passed away a few days ago, on the 20th of May, but his life has touched so many others (especially with this video now going viral), and he was able to be strengthened and touched by so many in return.  If you've got 22 minutes and a box of tissues, I'd highly recommend it:

So I guess in summary:  Storms are scary, and there are certainly a lot of them around.  Some people's storms are so severe that I can't even begin to relate. But I'm grateful to know that the sun will always continue to shine above the clouds - even when they block our view momentarily - and that it will eventually find a way to break through.

xo Tammy