Heart-Breaking

My brother John went to visit some mutual friends who live in Pleasant Grove Alabama, a small, quiet community just North of Birmingham.  Pleasant Grove received the full fury and devastating power of an F5 tornado in last week's once-in-a-lifetime (thank God) storm.  To give the photos some context:  Pleasant Grove is an older community - older homes; enormous 100 yr old oak trees; manicured lawns.  When you look at the unbelievable devastation, it is impossible to imagine what this community once looked like.

In a previous email John wrote this statement:  "We have friends and friends of friends who had either significant damage or lost their homes altogether. And we have other friends who were in the path of the storm that we have not yet heard from. There is much suffering out there today.  We appreciate your concern and interest in us, but for whatever reason God decided we be spared this time."

The last statement is the most poignant.  God has not promised to spare us from danger, trials or heartache simply because we are his children.  But he HAS promised - at all times, and in all circumstances - His PEACE, His POWER and His PRESENCE.

John wrote:  "I took a little walk and took some pictures along the way. I found that in some places the mega-tornado had narrowed to as little as a 1/4 mile across, and sometimes widened to as much as three or more miles. A friend who went with me used a word that fit the view and the feeling one had while looking at it: "Sick!" 

This picture gives some idea of the original state of this neighborhood.  The rest is unrecognizable.

Even brick is not immune to the power of an F5 tornado

Another brick home reduced to ruin.  Note the books stacked on the front steps - all that's left of a home & memories.  Only one room remains in the center of the house.

Enormous oak trees become 50 ft matchsticks - all the branches literally ripped off.