Praying for Martha

It was a quiet evening at home Sunday when I picked up my phone and began reading reports of a devastating tornado that ripped through the town of Joplin, Missouri. A town, that until that moment, I had never heard mention of before. After our brief stint in "Tornado Alley", my heart breaks for those who suffer such tragedy. The sound of tornado sirens piercing the black night is terrifying and the destruction left behind horrific. We were blessed to remain out of the path of destruction but I remember the sights, driving down the I-30 through Benton, AR, after a tornado touched down in the Spring of 2008- cars mangled, billboards shredded, houses destroyed. As a result, my sensitivity to victims of tornadoes has heightened considerably and I began to pray for the safety and recovery of all those in Joplin.

The following morning was busy as usual, breakfast, laundry, cleaning. I sat down for a stint in front of the computer to check my Facebook page and got curious. In typical Facebook stalking fashion, I began searching for random friends and distant family members. As I searched for one such friend, named Martha, a result quickly appeared on the screen. Not only did it appear, but somehow how the link opened and I was taken immediately to her page. I noticed little more than her name, which was identical to the gal I was searching for. But underneath it is what caught my attention. Her location? Joplin, Missouri.

You don't have to have a relationship with God long to realize that he moves in ways that, while they may not make sense to you, are purposeful. And I believe with all my heart that this was a God-given appointment. There I was, virtually face to face with someone I'd never met in a town ravaged by a tornado only hours before.

I don't know Martha personally. I don't know if she is alive, if she's injured, if she lost a loved one, or if she is among those aiding victims. I may never know. But I will continue to lift her up in prayer as often as her name comes to mind. Please join me in praying for Martha.