Today We Remember
Afterward the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” -- Genesis 15:1
Where were you one year ago today? If you live in the Deep South, you remember the night well. Tornadoes ripped apart many areas, killing hundreds. Tuscaloosa lost more than 50 people. Devastation littered the city.
And then the storms moved toward Birmingham. A dear young woman and her two children emerged from a basement unharmed. Their home was gone. It took her frantic husband two days to get a flight into Birmingham. They’re still not back in their new home, rebuilt on the same site. The scars will linger forever.
Her father said something profound in the days immediately afterward: It’s amazing how little a house means when you realize that your daughter and grandchildren are okay.
He was right. Many, many people who lost everything they owned were grateful for their lives. Others grieved, and continue to grieve, for those that didn’t survive. How does anyone explain why one person dies and another lives? There are no answers to that one.
Have you ever faced a storm of such magnitude? Have you ever truly been afraid, in circumstances you couldn’t control? What happened? If you’re like most of us, you cried out to God. And He answered.
Because God never leaves us to face anything alone. Ask anyone who has been there. It’s almost like you can reach out and touch God, He is so close and His Presence is so great. Another reminder that we belong to Him and He protects His own.
Today is a day of memories. Some are sad as we remember those who died that day. Some are amazing stories of survival. Others are stories of gratitude and achievement because there’s nothing like disaster to bring out the best in people. We want to help. We want to serve.
Tornadoes and other natural disasters remind us of what truly is important. And it’s not things. As much as we like our stuff, people are what matter most. And pets. My friend’s kids rejoiced when their dog was found. They’d lost all their toys and everything that was familiar to them but they had their dog and that was what mattered. A small spot of normalcy in a world that was forever changed.
Bad things happen in this world. They just do. But we can know that in all circumstances God is with us, holding on to us, protecting us and loving us. Today we’ll remember and give thanks to a God who tells us to not be afraid because He is with us.
