Tears

This week has been so hard.

First, we are okay. Thank you to those of you who checked in on my family. We live in the Tulsa area and we didn't get hit anywhere near as hard as Oklahoma City. We did have 2 tornadoes close to us. Our city sirens were going off and we were under cover for over an hour. It was so scary. Luckily, no tornadoes hit our town or friends in other towns. One friend took a picture of a tornado that passed very close to her home, though. She was lucky.

I had talked to Chloe Jo on Sunday and Monday about taking cover. While she didn't understand the gravity of the situation, she did comply (not that she had any choice) with our commands (yes, in times like these, we gave commands). Russ came home from work because our sewer was clogged and I'm so glad he did. He was on his way to a town to drop off some needed food for a family and that town did get hit. I don't know that there was much damage, but there was a tornado on the ground and I am soooo thankful that our sewer decided that that was a good time to clog! Chloe Jo ended up falling asleep in the bathtub. I think the stress of the situation was too much for her to handle.

While Moore, OK was definitely the hardest hit, please keep praying for all of those in Oklahoma who suffered damage. I know the Miami area was hit and there were around 10 homes destroyed up there.

The biggest tragedy of this week was the loss of life. While I am thankful the original death toll of 51 was revised down to 24, I know it is still a horrific ordeal for the families of those 24 people.

While I have been extremely emotional while looking through pictures and watching news coverage, I also know that I serve a God who is bigger than these tornadoes. I serve a God who makes anything that happens okay. I don't have to worry about death or destruction because, in the long run, none of that matters and I know I will be home with Him in the end. I am so blessed to know my God cares for me and that he will get me through or take me home.

There are a couple of pictures that pricked my heart to the core that I would like to share with you.

This first one is Big Dog and Little Dog who are neighbors. Big Dog ran to the school where Little Dog was to help with search and rescue as soon as the tornado passed. He found Little Dog whose parents were at work in the city and weren't able to get there as fast as they would have liked. The love between those two is heart-wrenching.

Lastly, this picture sums up this disaster so well.

We have our lives. We have our families. We will move on.