Moore, Oklahoma: A good day to make a difference

I'm not much of a morning person but this morning was different. On this morning, June 1st, we were heading to Moore, Oklahoma as part of a tornado relief team; we were going to help people.

On 20 May 2013 in the afternoon we stood around the dining room table and watched (live via the weather channel) as an EF5 tornado swept through the city of Moore, Oklahoma, leaving nothing but a brown coloured strip of destruction in its wake. Even though with my mind I understood that people's lives were changing before my very eyes, it felt a lot like watching a movie.

For someone who is originally from South Africa the closest I've ever come to the aftermath of a natural disaster is the photo's and footage of television and newspapers, but this day I was going to experience it up close and personal for the first time. And not just experience it, but I had the wonderful opportunity to be part of the solution. I would realize that the reality is a far cry from the movies.

With a roughly two and a half hour drive ahead of us, we hit the road bright and early. This was going to be a busy day.

Everything happens for a reason

This world has much darkness in it. You need only pick up a newspaper or flick on a news channel to know that. It can be pretty depressing keeping up to date with what is happening around us. So do we keep up to date and fall into hopelessness and depression, or do we look the other way in an attempt to hold on to our sanity? It can be tricky. 

In light of the recent tornado that brought much heartache and destruction to Moore, Oklahoma, I was again confronted with a question that is often asked following great tragedy: If God is such a good God (or if there is a God) how could he do this (or let this happen)?

The way I understand this question is that

Faithful instruction

(c) 2011 Liane de Witt

Sunrise, sunset

(c) 2010 Liane de Witt

Focus on the 'believing' bit

Miracles follow those who believe. This will not be true for those who don't believe. Not because God is an respector of persons, nor because he is inconsistent in his character, but because everything about being a child of God is rooted and grounded in faith! So if you need a miracle, just decide to get focussed on having faith so that the promises can start becoming your reality!

Source: joannawillis.wordpress.com

"For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favour) that you are saved (delivered from judgement and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith" ~ Ephesians 2:8

"And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well." ~ Mark 16:17