It will almost be one week since the "F5" tornado caused so much devastation and destruction. This past week has been difficult for everyone to absorb. The energy of that event has not only been felt in Joplin, but it has been felt through the rest of Missouri, the Midwest, and the greater part of our country. It is so natural for us to try to "figure out" why. It is so natural for us to want to know the reason for this event and why the people of Joplin? We can understand the weather conditions that caused the tornado, but the spiritual aspect of an event such as this always leaves us hungry for answers that we will probably never completely have. Every morning the paper has been delivered to our doorstep, the pictures of the aftermath on the front page are hard to look at. The headlines pierce our hearts and the range of emotions we feel go from gratitude that it wasn't us to I wouldn't know what I would do if I lost everything. I can't imagine what they must be going through. And then you turn on the television, and it is more of the same. Eventually, the energy that we give to the media, the rumors, the stories, and the accounts of what happened has to be focused on the energy of God.
One of the most helpful things we can do to transform the energy of destruction and despair is to focus on the energy of love, assistance, healing, and hope. With our prayers, our thoughts, and our calculated actions, we can call forth the energy of God and begin to focus on making the miraculous happen for people whose lives have been literally wiped out in such a dramatic way. Shutting off the television, putting the newspaper out of sight for awhile, and choosing a way to lend a hand, and then following through with it, begins to take the focus off the devastation and places it on a bright and hopeful future. Using social media to build up faith in a God who forever loves and provides for us is one powerful way to allow the powerful force of God to remain stronger than any storm, even an "F5" tornado. We must be careful about the energy we give to fear. Continuously listening to screams for help on a video clip only magnifies more fear. Now is the time to magnify God. Now is the time to magnify faith, love, hope, and peace. Now is the time to magnify prayerful, peaceful, and productive action. The people of Joplin and all places that have been devastated by storms and flooding need us to do this for them because it will be very difficult, if not nearly impossible for them to do that, especially in the coming weeks. After going through something like this, our spiritual muscles have been stretched to its limits, and we need to take care that we help build up our spiritual muscles and the spiritual muscles of those so deeply affected by these storms.
We have all heard and read about buildings being leveled, cars tossed here and there, trees shredded, and paperwork blown miles and miles away. But underneath all of that damage, is the spiritual/emotional damage that a tornado of this magnitude can do. Trust in a loving and protective God can leave great cracks in spiritual foundations, a sense of security and peace is buried under the darkness and debris of grief, a sense of purpose can be lost in the stormy winds of doubt, questions of did I do anything to deserve this? Did I somehow cause this? muddy the once calm and clear waters of our thinking. When the physical manifestations of a person's life are gone... the job, the car, the home, and for some, the loss of limb and life, the separation from God that was once maybe a crack, under normal circumstances, now feels like the Grand Canyon. We must pray that people who are desperate to put their lives back in order, don't turn to alcohol, drugs, or suicide instead of God. The victims of these storms have huge moutains of the spirit and mind that they are going to have to climb, move, and surmount. The emotional toll, for some, in the weeks and years to come, will be as severe as the physical toll, and it is the emotional toll that isn't always as visible to us as the piles of debris lining the streets. Not only do these people need help rebuilding the physical aspects of their lives, but they will need help repairing their hearts. It is easy to remember to pray for the victims of storms in the near future, but they will need our prayers way beyond that. They will need us to listen to them, to hear what they aren't saying as much as what they are saying. They will need to feel valued, and that whatever they happen to be experiencing matters a great deal to all of us. While we are all still feeling and seeing the affects of this storm at the present time, most of us will on some level "forget", especially when the next "big" story breaks and all the media and attention begins to move on to the next event, the people of Joplin and Tuscaloosa, and so many other weather "victims" can't forget. It won't be as simple for them to move on. Even after the physical aspect of their lives are rebuilt, the spiritual/emotional repair will continue. The journey from mind to heart after the storm is the part of all of this that may take a lifetime to heal and overcome. After the storm on Sunday night, a beautiful, crisp, double rainbow was made visible to so many. It was as if God was saying, I AM HERE! I AM ABOVE, HIGHER, and SEPARATE FROM THE STORM. I AM THE BEAUTY, THE CALM, AND THE PROMISE OF A BRIGHT, PROSPEROUS, and HAPPY FUTURE! I am the one who calmed the storm. I am the one who will supply every need. I am the one who builds up, not tears down. I am the one who says, Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I have plans for your future. Plans to prosper you, and to make you feel happy again! Plans to provide you with money, friends, love, hope, houses, cars, new schools and hospitals. Plans to keep bringing food and more food. Plans to help you walk through the grief so you can laugh again. Plans to help you love your life again. Plans to help you feel the colors of the rainbow and taste the riches that lie at its end. Plans to help you laugh again. Plans to help you dream again. Plans to help you forget the storm, if only for a brief few moments.
I think all of us are sort of walking in a spiritual/emotional thick fog that has been very difficult to move through this week. With time and prayer, the denseness of the fog will lift, and "normal" life will resume. Every day this past week, my kids would wake up and ask if there will be a storm or a tornado today, and every day I gave them a hug and said that we would be safe, and that there would be nothing to be afraid of. By the end of this week, they became so use to rain, thunder, wind, and lightening, that today, when there is no storm, it even seemed noticeable and odd. Those were hard words to say, because ultimately, I can't always guarantee that nothing bad will happen, but I have to teach them how to live and not fear. I've noticed that our children have seemed more impatient, whiny, and even "angry", and I think that keeping the television off, putting the newspapers out of sight, putting the weather radio out of earshot, and hugging them a little more and a little longer has helped. I have to believe, and help my children believe that even if we should lose our house or the things that we love, or even God-forbid, a loved one, that ultimately love will remain. God's love can't be destroyed by any storm. God's love can't be taken from us because if we "love one another as God has loved us" all will be well. And when we ask for what we need from God, He will supply beyond our expectations. Our family will be going to Joplin in the coming days and weeks to help. It will be important that our children do something too, even if it is simply handing out water and cookies to workers. They need to feel a part of all the miraculous things that are going to heal Joplin. Helping someone else will make them feel powerful instead of powerless. It will help them to feel hopeful instead of hopeless.
May we hold fast to our faith in a loving and protective God. May we cling to the commandment to love one another as God has loved us. May we be vigilant and alert to the needs of people who are spiritually and emotionally suffering from this week's event. May we cry when we need to, but remember to laugh too. May we hug each other a little more often and not be afraid to express our love for each other. May we find even the littlest things to be grateful for amidst the destruction. May we be careful to spread hope instead of fear.
Instead of headlines that read Adrift in Debris, may our eyes fall on headlines that read Adrift in Sea of Compassion. Instead of headlines that read Hundreds Killed , may we read future headlines of Thousands Live!
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