Wow!

Wow!  That's about it.  I don't know what else to say when I look at the images in Oklahoma and Texas in the aftermath of the tornadoes that hit this area.  I mean what do you say?  I was getting my oil changed in the car when I first saw the images.  I sat there in the lobby with nothing to say.  For those who know me, understand how major it is for me to have nothing to say.  Nevertheless, there I sat speechless. I looked around the room and there were a couple of other people completely out of touch with the images on the screen.  They sat there eyes glued to their phones, oblivious to the reality of the plight of our neighbors to the north.  I thought to myself how many of us will react exactly that same way. 

Personally, I couldn't help but think of those who were trapped in the rubble, those dead in the rubble, those who lost everything, those who lost friends and family.  I thought to myself what would I do or what would I say if I were there at that moment.  How do you help someone navigate through the aftermath of something tragic like this?  I don't really have the answer to that.

What I do know though is that I can do something.  Perhaps I can't be right there, right now, but there is something I can do.  There is something we all can do.  Sure, we can sit back and thank God that it was not us and go back to life as normal, or we can engage in helping someone somehow walk through this horror.  I choose the latter!

There are multiple places where you can donate.  Maybe you can even be one of those who can be there right now with a set of hands and feet to help them.  Maybe you can just be a shoulder to cry one.  Whatever the case, everyone of us can do something to help these families walk through the aftermath of these horrible storms.

This morning I discovered that a friend of mine lost his house.  It's gone.  I thought to myself, what would I do if that was my brother, or my sister?  I certainly wouldn't call them up and just let them know I would be praying for them.  Here's what I would do, I would do whatever I could to lend a hand.  I would give of myself, my resources, and whatever else I could to help them get back on their feet.  

I can't build this friend another house.  But I can get off my tail-end and do something.  So, I choose to do something.  As I finish typing my thoughts, I'm on my way to the post office, to mail him some gift cards.  It won't stop there, but its the start.  I can't build him a new home, but I can be a friend.  I can choose to truly love and not pretend I do.  There are thousands affected and I wish I could help them all.  I'll start with just one though and we'll see where we go from there.

I want to challenge you to do something.  If we all did a little, then we would collectively do a lot.  If you don't know were to start, then go to our church's website at www.westlakefellowship.org and make a donation for tornado relief.  You can help me, help one family get back on their feet!  Let's change the world one life at a time!!!