Answered Prayer in Devastation

The third anniversary of the Joplin tornado has just passed and there are times it still evokes strong emotion in me.  I was blessed to meet with our very own storm chaser, Gerry Davis, and suffice it to say;  tornadoes evoke very different emotions in the two of us.

I had just sold the "starter-stead" the Friday before the tornado roared through Joplin, Sunday evening.  The north sky was very dark that evening as I did chores, and it was raining, but I had no idea what was taking place just thirty miles away.  It wasn't until later that evening, I turned on the computer to discover an F5 tornado had destroyed a vast portion of Joplin.  Three years later, much of the devastation is still apparent.

When I saw the path of the tornado, it occurred to me that the address of the young couple who had bought the place, was in that path.  The real estate deal was a simple one, as it was an owner finance situation.  I tried their number, but of course, the call would not go through.  My phone service was restored in a couple of days, but something happened Monday that cannot be explained in any other way, but the hand of our Heavenly Father.

That night as I prayed, my heart was so heavy, knowing there were so many people unaccounted for.  As it continued to rain, I thought of those who were trapped under rubble, not yet rescued.  I was also thankful though, due to the size of the class, the High School graduation had been held at the college that was not in the path.  The High School was destroyed by the tornado.  There were fatalities, but the number would have risen by hundreds, had the graduation taken place at the High School.  I also prayed that somehow, I could know if that young couple, who had bought the place, and their two children were safe.  Knowing, I was not a relative or anyone of significance in their life, I certainly could not contact any emergency services to make inquiry.

The next morning I awoke to a very dark cloud, and the Voice spoke from that cloud, "Man was not given domain over the skies, stop cloud seeding, weather is not to be in hands of man."  I posted that later in my updates blog.  Meanwhile, I knew Joplin needed supplies, and I was far enough away, my local Dollar Store wasn't wiped out, yet; so I did what I could to reduce their inventory and take it to Joplin.  There was a parking lot designated for emergency supplies, and there was a line, two actually.  One for those bringing supplies, and one for those in need.

As I moved forward in the line toward the drop off point, coming toward me in the other line, was the young couple and their children.  I can't even type this without being overcome . . . They had survived, as many had, in their bathtub.  The place where they had been living was no longer inhabitable, and their vehicle had been destroyed, but they were all alive and uninjured.

As I praised Adonai and thanked Him for their safety, and the safety of so many, I also thanked Him for that perfect timing.