…In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade…

1 Peter 1:3-4

On December 26, 2015, an EF-4 tornado hit Garland and Rowlett, TX. Several died. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. 

I was in Garland almost two months later and drove by an astonishing site I will never forget. It was a massive heap of rubble collected from the path of the tornado. Several other piles just like that one existed. Those piles were composed of what had once been the treasured possessions of many people. Those possessions were snatched away in a moment!

That night I gathered with women for a Bible study and heard terrifying experiences. Several were home when the tornado hit. Their homes were demolished, but they were miraculously saved. 

Many recovered nothing. An elderly woman approached me with a smile. She twirled and declared, “Since I had to buy all new clothes, I am embracing the new style!” In spite of great loss, her joy and peace were evident. 

The night of the tornado, one woman’s nephew was driving on Interstate 30. This woman had prayed for her nephew’s salvation for years. As the tornado crossed the road in front of him, it lifted and rolled a car. This young man, along with another person, stopped and ran to the driver’s aid. The elderly woman in the car was greatly injured. Her last words were spoken directly to the nephew: “Do you know Jesus?”

In the midst of heartache and tragedy, God is present. God is delivering. God is saving. God is drawing people to Himself. 

Earthly possessions will some day be piles of rubble. But eternal life and an eternal inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade are promised to all who believe in Jesus and commit to follow Him.

Do you know Jesus? 

Jan