Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Grateful Odours
At around 1am the city tornado alarm went off.
However, this is their 4th child and she has done an excellent job of not trying to be quiet when the baby is resting... so maybe she slept through it...?
My family was living in Oklahoma when that HUGE tornado ripped through Oklahoma City. On our way to shelter, we viewed it out our car window. It was the first time I heard a weather-man cry and tell people to GET OUT of the path of the tornado versus the usual "seek shelter" (even if in the path of the tornado).
I wanted to share this with you this beautiful, post-tornadic-potential morning... Though the clouds almost speak of impending whirly-doom, it really is a breath-taking view. So read and enjoy:
"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out."—Song of Solomon 4:16.ANYTHING is better than the dead calm of indifference. Our souls may wisely desire the north wind of trouble if that alone can be sanctified to the drawing forth of the perfume of our graces. So long as it cannot be said, "The Lord was not in the wind," we will not shrink from the most wintry blast that ever blew upon plants of grace. Did not the spouse in this verse humbly submit herself to the reproofs of her Beloved; only entreating Him to send forth His grace in some form, and making no stipulation as to the peculiar manner in which it should come? Did she not, like ourselves, become so utterly weary of deadness and unholy calm that she sighed for any visitation which would brace her to action? Yet she desires the warm south wind of comfort, too, the smiles of divine love, the joy of the Redeemer's presence; these are often mightily effectual to arouse our sluggish life. She desires either one or the other, or both; so that she may but be able to delight her Beloved with the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be unprofitable, nor can we. How cheering a thought that Jesus can find comfort in our poor feeble graces. Can it be? It seems far too good to be true. Well may we court trial or even death itself if we shall thereby be aided to make glad Immanuel's heart. O that our heart were crushed to atoms if only by such bruising our sweet Lord Jesus could be glorified. Graces unexercised are as sweet perfumes slumbering in the cups of the flowers: the wisdom of the great Husbandman overrules diverse and opposite causes to produce the one desired result, and makes both affliction and consolation draw forth the grateful odours of faith, love, patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of the garden. May we know by sweet experience, what this means.--C.H. Spurgeon
Comments
Oh Lisa, my heart is breaking tonight. Those same storms raged through AL today. Here is what I just posted on our family website:
Please join us in prayer for the families and friends of those who died in South Alabama today. All of the kids here in North Alabama were sent home from school early - most around 11:00. Shawn and Trey spent a lot of time after lunch outside playing with their neighbor friends who were just happy to be out of school early.
But in South Alabama, the schools did not send the kids home early and they will forever regret that. Eight died when the tornado hit the school in Enterprise, AL. So far, seven more have died elsewhere, too.
My heart breaks for the parents, family, friends, teachers, and everyone else in that small town. May God Almighty be glorified, even through this tragedy.
Posted by: sheshe | March 1, 2007 10:22 PM
Oh my... I will certainly be praying. Thank you for letting me know Sheshe
Posted by: lisa | March 2, 2007 08:21 AM