Building On The Rock

As we are all aware Putnam Co. and Cookeville citizens suffered greatly when struck by an F-4 tornado on March 3rd of this year. I suppose what made it so bad was the loss of 19 lives due to the storm.

   On April 3-4, 1974 the most violent tornado outbreak ever recorded occurred. There were 148 tornadoes and 80 of them were F4/F5 tornadoes. There were 335 deaths and 6,000 people injured. Fifty people were killed in Tennessee alone. Damage across the U. S. was estimated at 3.5 billion dollars.

   We were living in Bowling Green, Ky.  As soon as possible Janice and I travelled to Livingston, Tn. to check on our parents. Over 50 homes were destroyed but our parents were safe. I was particularly concerned since my parents were living in a mobile home. Authorities are constantly  warning against living in mobile homes since their internal structure is like paper-mache in a tornado.  Two deaths were reported in Livingston as a mobile home was blown away leaving only the concrete steps with a coke bottle sitting on it. To say the least, brick and mortar materials are better with a good foundation.

   Is that not why people's spiritual life is so easily swept away in life's storms with no adequate spiritual foundation. "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house  on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew...yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (Mt. 7:24-25). Let us be diligent to build our lives on Jesus, the solid Rock.