IT won't happen to me.

And now what are you waiting for?  Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.    Acts 22:16 (NIV)

Last night (Sunday) before bed, Jay tells me to take my cell phone with me to bed, which I usually do anyway when he is working.  He said there were some nasty storms brewing to the south and he would call me if the kids and I needed to take cover.  Honestly, I was freaked out a little.  But really, what are the chances anything will hit us?  It won't happen to me.

Thankfully, and I say that with a twinge of guilt, nothing headed up our way, but as I watch video and read stories of the devastation in the south, my heart is heavy for those people.  Many thoughts are swirling through my mind:  Why them?  What did they do?  Why don't those people move out of tornado alley? Where do you start?  What could I do?  I can't even imagine...

I think of the phrase, "I never thought it would happen to me."  Does anyone ever think IT will happen to them?  You can make the IT whatever you want: cancer, a car accident, a tornado, devastating illness, the death of a child or spouse, house fire, etc.  No one ever thinks IT will happen to them.

I'm sure that there were some tornado warnings and that most people heeded those, but how many times have they heard those same warnings, took cover and nothing happened?  Probably more than they can count.  Some won't even pay attention, thinking, it never hits us.  But, what if this is that time IT hits?

I'm not sure I could stomach that roller coaster honestly.  My first instinct would be to move far away, to a safer area, but where would that be? You can't run from all dangers.  And what if your entire family were in that area, that was your home, you owned a business, etc?  Can you just pick up and leave?

The Bible gives us many, many 'torando' warnings.  Do we pay attention to them?  Are we ignoring them because we don't think IT will happen to us?  Are we waiting until later to change our ways?  Are we trying to find a safer place to run to?

As always, the one and only safety net is Jesus Christ.  I do not know how or when I will leave this earth, but I do know where I will go from here.  I sure hope to see you there.

Listen to the warnings.  Get your emergency kit (salvation) lined out.  Do not wait until IT hits.