In June of 1985, eight...
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In June of 1985, eight tornadoes hit in the State of Ohio, dealing death and destruction as only tornadoes can. The newspapers and the television news brought us pictures and stories of the bereaved and those "wiped-out" in the wake of these storms. They have given us the occasion of both giving help to those afflicted and learning from their reactions to the experience.
We grieve with those who have lost loved ones. We rejoice with those who discover members of their families whose lives have been spared amid the destruction.
But, what has struck me most are the statements of those who have lost "everything," but recognize a new preciousness to their lives. All their possessions, homes, cars, even a place of employment, count little or nothing compared to life itself. They can identify with Paul, who wrote, "... I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse ..."
We may never have such a loss forced upon us, but, if we are open to being confronted by Jesus Christ, his suffering, death, and resurrection, we may experience a power greater than any tornado, which lets us lose everything we have previously held dear, in order to experience the greater preciousness of our lives lived in him.
We grieve with those who have lost loved ones. We rejoice with those who discover members of their families whose lives have been spared amid the destruction.
But, what has struck me most are the statements of those who have lost "everything," but recognize a new preciousness to their lives. All their possessions, homes, cars, even a place of employment, count little or nothing compared to life itself. They can identify with Paul, who wrote, "... I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse ..."
We may never have such a loss forced upon us, but, if we are open to being confronted by Jesus Christ, his suffering, death, and resurrection, we may experience a power greater than any tornado, which lets us lose everything we have previously held dear, in order to experience the greater preciousness of our lives lived in him.
