Last night I watched a documentary on the tornado that hit Joplin. The coverage was pretty gritty and graphic in some parts and could in and of itself be unacceptable viewing for anyone under the age of 13. I was born and pretty much raised in Kansas for my youth, and lived in Missouri for many years. This is all considered part of Tornado Alley. In all my years I have never seen the ravages of damage that this tornado did in Joplin. It took 30 minutes for that tornado to move through the town. Normally a tornado will last for just a couple of minutes at most in a location before dissipating or moving on. It was heartbreaking to watch. Entire streets of houses were just wiped out. Even the hospital was hit and had to be evacuated. All of the subdivision around the hospital were flattened. The loss of life was horrific to watch.
I chose this topic to blog about because the images have stayed with me throughout the day and reminded me of how important it is to make every moment of life count. Being a blessing to others, helping them, loving them, reaching out and showing them that love all matters. When this life is over I want to have people say of me that I cared about others, loved them and did my best to help where I could instead of selfishly hoarding myself away from people.
Life is full of tragedy. When it happens, whether to a neighbor, friend, family or the stranger across town I want to be counted as willing to step up to the plate and do my part to show them the love of Christ in me and that this love is sincere, without the desire for personal gain.
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