Stormy Night

Yesterday before we went to bed, we saw on TV where there were a reported 37 tornadoes in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. Then, the storm cells began heating up in Oklahoma and Arkansas, as well as returning to Missouri. We saw that Mid-Mo, near Sedalia & Columbia (where we used to live) there were several bad storms blowing through with tornadoes touching down, leveling homes and destroying lives.

Then around 9:30p or so, they came to Benton County, just north of us. Tornadoes were reported to have touched down around Centerton and Bentonville, moving toward southern Missouri. Several homes were damaged and families were displaced for the night. Rain, hail, winds and torrential downpours were the theme all throughout NWArkansas. In fact, after the Benton County storm coverage ended, things seemed to quiet down...until about 12:30am when the second round of storms came through Washington County, directly at us here in Fayetteville. Fortunately for us, the storm veered to the south of the city and as KNWA's Rick Katzfey noted, the storm was lessening in intensity, which was going to be mean less damage and less likelihood of tornadic activity for us here in Washington County.

Nevertheless, it was a long night. We had to get the kids up and bring them downstairs for about an hour until the storm passed by. They were a bit rattled, although not too much, and we decided to make it as easy as we could so we blew up an air mattress for them to sleep on in our room and finally got some sleep about 2:15am.

Poor Kaitlyn had school today and stumbled bleary-eyed out the door. Jake slept in 'til about 9:45 so I know both kids will be in rare form tonight.

However, it doesn't amount to very much at all considering how many families throughout the Midwest lost it all yesterday. Homes, cars, pets, possessions, pictures, memories...all gone in an instant.

My prayer today is that God will send His peace and comfort to those people today. I pray for no complications from insurance companies, I pray for a quick recovery and rebuilding to all those who lost their homes yesterday and I hope that in the midst of the rubble and the dawning of a new day, the presence of the Lord will be found.

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find it; knock and it will be opened to you.