It’s 2:31 am, and I have not been able to go to sleep due to the tornadoes in Oklahoma.  My little brother and his family live in Oklahoma City, and the tornado was headed straight for their house.  The path of the tornado is seen in the picture below, and my brother’s house is where the yellow dot is.

The horrible, devastating, destructive, mighty force was headed straight towards my sister-in-law Kelly, and my beautiful baby niece, Brinley!  Praise the Lord it dissipated right as it neared the lake by Taylor’s house.  Praise the Lord that Kelly’s parents have a concrete storm room in which she and Brinley ran to for shelter.

However, not everyone has been so fortunate.

I simply can not imagine what the people of Moore are experiencing, and I pray I never have to!  I just can’t help but be thankful for my third grader tonight!

You know, when the tragedy at Sandy Hook happened, all I could think about was Preston.  What would I do if something happened to my baby?  Any of my babies…but Preston is the only one in “school.”

When the Boston Marathon bombing took place, a little boy Preston’s age was killed.  Again, I just thanked the Lord for my son and prayed over him that night, thanking the Lord for him and begging for protection for he and his sisters.

Tonight, as I watch the footage of this horrible storm, already emotional because of how close it was to my brother, I can’t help but cry and thank God for my third grader!  So many parents tonight are longing to hold their babies, praying for hope, and devastated by so much loss.  I couldn’t help but stand over my baby boy, my firstborn, and thank the Lord above for him!

The picture is blurry because I was trying to take it in the dark, but I am so thankful for that baby boy!  He still sleeps with his blanket, though tattered and torn, and his dog, Rover, beside him in the bed.

I love him!

So innocent and yet so wild.  So big, and yet so young.  So smart, and yet still acts like a fool…but I am pretty sure that is part of the make-up of a 9 year old boy!

What would I do without him?

Today, I am thankful that he is peacefully sleeping in his bed.

Today, I am thankful that he got to play with his buddies in our front yard.

Today, I am thankful that he let LK “pitch” to him.

Today, I am thankful that he kissed me goodbye this morning with a smile on his face.

Today, I am thankful that I got to see him play baseball and pitch a great game!

Today, I am thankful for all his quirks and his little boy-ness.

Today, I am thankful for my third grader.

Lord, thank you for protecting Taylor, Kelly, Brinley, Linnie and Pat.  Thank you for stopping the tornado before any more destruction occurred.  Please, Lord, somehow, bring something positive from this horrific event.  I pray that your mighty hand would be at work through the hearts of all those affected.  Please help the people of Oklahoma seek you and find you.  Lord, please give these poor families who have lost loved ones an indescribable peace.

Also, Lord, thank you for Preston.  Please help me to love on him and show him how much I love him.  Please protect him physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Thank you for all these wild ones you have blessed us with.  Please, Lord, help me to protect them and love them the best I can, but I pray that you protect them from harm and danger.

Thank you, Lord!

-kate

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