I finally got moving in the late morning and we went to Home Depot for trim for the basement. I spent time Saturday afternoon staining trim, at least until the tornado warnings were issued. It came a little over a mile from our house and the destruction is just heartbreaking. Here's a piece of Tonia's personal blog (she says thing SO much better than I ever can!)
Why God made tornados
Yesterday a tornado at least one-half mile wide cut a path about 15 miles long though eastern Iowa, coming within about that distance of my home. Estimates are that about a dozen people were killed, and I feel quite fortunate that none of them were people I know personally. Included in the millions of dollars in damage done by this storm was the complete destruction of the house my cousin Micheal finished building less than a year ago. His wife and 4 small children were in the small storm shelter that was the only part of the building intact when the winds stopped blowing. He watched the tornado consume it from his father-in-law's home about a quarter mile away. After determining that they were safe, he went to look in on his across-the-street neighbors. They were not as lucky. His parents property, though not officially struck by the tornado, had such serious wind damage that they had to be evacuated. My mom's friend, Pam, lost her mother to the storm. My friend Casey's sister lost most of her farm.
Casey's grandson asked why there were tornados. His mother told him it was because God made tornados. I'm sure she hoped the answer would satisfy him, but like little boys will, it inspired him to ask a much harder question, "Why does God make tornados?" They could not answer him and I had no response at first myself.
In the light of the next day, however, the answer is pretty clear. Several of my friends are headed up to my aunt's to help the clean up. People who've never met my cousin are asking me what sizes of clothes his kids need. When I went to the store for water and ice for the clean up crews, strangers offered to help me out with it when they heard what it was for. My brother's driving up from an hour away to help. The answer, when you tell people about something like this is always, "What can I do to help?"
And that is also the answer to the little boy's question. I don't think God exactly makes tornados. I think He generally more allows them to happen. But He doesn't do it to smite us or punish us or because it amuses Him to watch us suffer. He lets things like this happen because, as the insurance commercial says, "...the worst events bring out the best in people." I believe that bad things happen so we can help each other. They teach us the depth of our connection to each other. They give us the opportunity to clothe and feed and comfort our neighbor, to be brother to the stranger, to live the love of Jesus in each other's lives.
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