A humbling experience!

A humbling experience!

The second last week of August my wife and I travelled to North Dakota, USA to visit our daughter in the small community of Northwood. Our time with her and her little family was ending quickly -- we were scheduled to return home Monday morning on August 27. But, on Sunday late evening after dark a force 5 tornado lashed at the town!

The response next morning by just about everyone -- after the initial shock -- was gratitude and thanksgiving! People literally 'counted their blessings'! Daylight revealed a totally destroyed community! By early afternoon cleanup had begun. By Thursday the piles of debris and those of large trees and brush  were almost entirely cleared by volunteers with heavy equipment. Tree-cutting, repairs to streets and homes and to the school will continue for months. There are only a few businesses left intact. One person died!

The lesson some took with them into their homes or to their temporary shelters was: that they had been spared! God had been good to them.

Most people will be grateful for the rest of their lives -- even though some have lost everything before -- through fire or flood.                                                           But, by Thursday, others started grumbling  --  recovery-work wasn't going fast enough! Their property wasn't being restored to its recent pristine state quickly enough.

In Luke's Gospel Jesus sat as guest in the home of a Pharisee, and a sick man came among them. (Lk.14:1-14). Jesus was being watched to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath? -- and he did!

Some people who saw this judged him.                                                                       * Some people who experienced the tornado's devastation wondered whether they had just been judged -- or  unfairly singled out?

I am now wondering: who the sick person in our midst is, whom Jesus wants to heal of their affliction -- and whether or not God is trying to get our attention too -- and why? With a storm?

Since Sunday evening my prayer life has become more vital again. * God certainly has my attention, whether God directed that tornado my way or not!

What would you pray for in my situation --                                                                    or if you were that sick man with Jesus that day? What would you pray?

Read Psalm 86:8-13        

Love the Lord your God .... and your neighbour as yourself.

May your prayers also be vital and rich. Shalom