In the aftermath

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. —Psalm 34:18

Yesterday was such a nice day. Church. Friends. Lunch. Nap. Work on the porch of a new coffeehouse favorite.

And then I came home to the news that Joplin, Mo., had been devastated by a massive tornado.

For a moment, I was terrified. A good friend of mine, Dawn, who’s been one of my best buds since high school, lives outside of Joplin. I sent messages to every contact info I had for her. (So, Dawn, when your power comes back on, be prepared!) Thankfully, I got a text back from her quickly saying she and her family were fine. The power was out, but they were safe.

I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

But then, I couldn’t stop reading the updates on Facebook, looking at the pictures. I was suddenly struck by the sheer amount of devastation, the people whose lives were irrevocably changed in a few minutes yesterday. People who had no warning. There are people with broken hearts in Joplin today. People who truly believe they have lost everything, including hope itself.

And knowing God’s Word is true, I’ve found myself praying the familiar words of Psalm 34:18, a verse I wrote down on an index card a few months ago, knowing only that it touched me personally. And today, I pray it for a city, for the brokenhearted. I pray it with a heavy heart myself.

May you be very, very near, Father.

credit belongs to Joplin Globe