i usually avoid watching too much any news… in fact, i found out about the tornado that ripped thru my home state of oklahoma on monday afternoon, via facebook.  i guess you could say facebook is how i find out what’s trending.

what’s trending now is oklahoma. and tornadoes. 

well, this girl is from oklahoma, so in my humble opinion – oklahoma is always trendy. and i am proud to be an oklahoman.

you can take this girl out of oklahoma, but a piece of my heart will always be there.

i was born and raised in edmond, oklahoma… about 20 miles from moore ~ the epicenter of mondays destruction, devastation and death.

my broken heart is there emotionally.
my cries are for my fellow oklahomans. my people.
my family is safe. but i ache for those who have lost so much.
my body wants to be there physically. to help. to be a shoulder to cry on. a listening ear. an understanding soul.

and perhaps we all go thru this. even if we are not an oklahoman.
perhaps we share similar emotions upon learning of any tragedy.
is this simple human nature?
to respond to those in need?
and why do we wait until it is a tragedy we are responding to?
…
is this God’s nature?
after all, He makes the storms.
He is a loving God.
He is a gracious God.
He is a good God.
but is there any good in tornadoes?
is there a purpose in destructive winds and rain?
it sounds slightly distorted… but could it be?
is there a creative God who shapes these storms to draw people closer to Him?
perhaps.

hearing the news.
crying over the loss.
thinking thru the situation.
processing the fullness of what has just happened.
understanding the depths of devastation, destruction and death.

so what now?
the storm has come.
the storm has demolished.
the storm has gone.

perhaps our first tendency is to cry out ‘why?’
why would a good and gracious God allow such calamity?

it is simple to say.
it is much more complicated to believe.
and much much more complicated to live.

Trust God. 

He is with us. 

He has not forsaken us. 

He loves us. 

He mourns with those who grieve.
He weeps for their loss.
He comforts those who cry out to Him.
He extends His unfailing, everlasting, never-ending love toward us all.
it is our job to respond. 
God will answer. but first, we must call out to Him {respond}.

i know – even without watching any news or reading any articles or seeing anything on my facebook feed – i know that i know that i know that i know – oklahomans are responding. 

oklahoma is one of the greatest places on the earth.
my roots are there. my family still lives there. of course i am a little biased…
but it is true.
oklahomans are the ‘glass is half full’ kind of folk.
they are the type to take the ‘high road’.
they are ‘sunny side up’ sorta people.
they are the most giving, gracious, generous, kind, caring, loving, wonderful and amazing people i have ever known and get to be related to! 😉

…
so, even for those who don’t believe in a good, gracious, loving God…
oklahomans are responding to this storm in ways that will inspire the rest of the world.

and for those who are followers of Christ Jesus ~ we must respond. there is no space for idleness.
may the church rise up in this storm and all the storms to come.
may our response be one of the highest praise to our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, and may we be His hands and feet, relentlessly caring for and loving those in front of us … wherever we are currently planted on this earth.
may we respond.

In Him, Leslie

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