We drove by Joplin and some other tornado torn areas this week on our way to Oklahoma. Groves of old trees were snapped in half like a huge sickle came by and sliced off the tops, splintering them like toothpicks. Brick homes look like the roof blew in and imploded. It’s a topsy turvy sight—things are not where they should be. We were silent as we drove. It was all we could offer. Our breathing and tears were our prayers.
Down to the Foundation
I know You give and take away
Gave a hundred years to these trees
Now jagged and naked, the tops snapped away
Gave thirty years to this family home
The roof blown in, bricks crumbling
It’s hard to keep Your time
To understand Your ways
But I look through the wreckage
And I see the cement foundations
The smooth places in the dust
You remind me that what I build
Is ultimately rubble
Unless I invest in love
Love that rises from the carnage
Of the wind, of the water
These storms that rattle our lives
And send us seeking shelter and help
Maybe they bring us back to love
Stripping away our comfort and security
Reminding us of our vulnerability
Impressing our need for each other
In that, perhaps hope rises again
When we get back
Back down to the Foundation
~ SLW ’11
beautiful and humble, our entire family is so blessed … thanks Mom and Dad. Aunt Nancy