Refuge

We encountered very scary news tonight. We received a phone call around 6 pm from my brother in law reporting they had a tornado rip through Galen's hometown. No one had been able to make contact with my mother in law, nor were they able to get to her home. The tornado had ripped the hospital near her home to shreds and leveled the entire surrounding area. The pictures on The Weather Channel gave us little hope and left our hearts and minds deeply troubled. We did the only thing we thought we could do. We fell to our knees and began to pray. We cried out to God. He was our refuge tonight and the only one we ran to. Psalm 9: 9 states: The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. We took refuge in Him. We passed the request on to the prayer warriors in our lives. He heard our cries and answered prayers. His mother was safe and was able to make contact with us at about 8 pm. Her home, somehow, miraculously was unscathed, and she wasn't home when it hit. Galen's friends lost their car and were in Wal-Mart when it collapsed, but are safe. They are shaken but safe. These are just 2 stories from this devastation. There will certainly be more, but He is sovereign. He will stand above all, He will be our refuge when we reach to Him. And so now we will do the only thing we know to do, praise Him. My Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Had the story ended differently, He still would've been the same today and tomorrow as He was yesterday. His love is never changing, He is never changing,  He is always sovereign. We will rest in His sovereignty and hand of protection. Psalm 59: 16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. We will continue to cry out to him to restore all that was lost in Joplin, MO on this now historical day for the city.   We rest in Him, we trust Him to restore and redeem. 


~~Lucinda