How He Love Us

             This week has been interesting to say the least. It has been a heartbreaking one here in Alabama. It all started with a tornado warning on Wednesday morning. I know that many of us here in Alabama don't always take the sirens seriously because they go off ALL THE TIME. I was getting ready for clinical when reports of 100mph winds came on the news. I was prepared to get in the closet, but then it quickly passed. There was not any damage here in Highland Park,  but there was damage not too far from here. Clinical was cancelled and I headed back to bed. Later in the afternoon I turned on the news and the weather was beginning to get bad again. First I watched a tornado form over Cullman on TV and then less than an hour later I watch the huge tornado form over Tuscaloosa in complete fear. It was just ripping apart downtown Tuscaloosa and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it. Nature is crazy. I then watched as the storm headed toward Birmingham. I grabbed a few things and the weather radio and headed toward the back wall of my basement apartment. All I heard on the new was "Take cover Samford University and Red Mountain." I did not know what to expect, but I knew it was going to be bad. All of a sudden the storm headed more north and the only evidence of the storm here was insulation and debris falling from the sky. As I watched the St.Vincent's sky cam I cringed in fear for the neighborhoods it was ripping apart, but was thankful that it had not come my direction. Over the last couple days horrendous pictures and huge numbers of fatalities began to come out. Hearts became more heavy, and people began to come together.
          Today I headed down to Tuscaloosa with some of my fellow Samford Nursing Students. We went to the Belk Activity Center. There were people EVERYWHERE. They told us that they were just going to have to send the supplies out and that they had more than enough volunteers at the moment, so they asked us to go to the Leland Shopping center. We headed over there, driving through streets that were totally destroyed and passing through national guard check points. People were walking the streets, passing out food and water, cleaning up trees, gathering personal belongings, and  some just sitting there in  complete shock. We made it to the first aid area at Leland and began to organize things and triage the people that were there. Then we realized that many of the people were still at there homes, not at the center. So we headed out on foot. Many people just wanted cold water or sunscreen. Others needed their blood pressure meds or insulin. And others were simply happy to see people offering aid. As I walked up and down the streets with nurses from all over I saw things I had never dreamed of seeing. I mean you can watch TV all you want and see all the pictures, but nothing even begins to show what it is like to see it in real life. Cars upside down and in houses, trees everywhere, houses demolished, powerlines everywhere, places where the house is missing and only front steps remain. There were some houses where only the closet where the people hid remained, and other houses I am not even sure how the people survived. The national guard was surveying the area and watching for any looters that may be present. Everyone seemed to greatly appreciate the help and they were saying "God Bless Ya'll." Some even had a smile on their face. I can't even imagine. I just wanted to help everyone. Later in the afternoon a few of us hopped on the back of a truck and headed out with supplies. We took baby food, diapers, water, food, and medical supplies out into the community of Alberta City. It was surreal. It felt like a dream and I really wanted to just wake up, but it was real life. Street after street, I reached a point of disorientation and didn't really know where I had started or where I was going as we passed out the supplies. Everything began to look the same... demolished. Thanks to all of the people who volunteer and thanks to all of the national guard and fire and rescue and police who are giving their all to helping with this disaster. After what I saw today I feel greatly blessed, and realize that this disaster will take months to recover from. I keep reminding myself that there is a plan for everything. God is in control and he is a sovereign God. Please continue to pray for the southeast and all of the victims of this storm. I don't think I will ever forget what I saw today. I have posted some pictures on the previous post. Here is a video as well. Sorry for the noise. We were on the back of a truck.

"How He Loves Us"

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, 
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. 
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, 
And I realize just how beautiful You are, 
And how great Your affections are for me. 

And oh, how He loves us oh 
Oh how He loves us, 
How He loves us all 

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, 
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. 
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, 
And I realize just how beautiful You are, 
And how great Your affections are for me. 

And oh, how He loves us oh, 
Oh how He loves us, 
How He loves us all 

He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves. 

And we are His portion and He is our prize, 
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes, 
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. 
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, 
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, 
I don't have time to maintain these regrets, 
When I think about, the way… 

That He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves. 
Yeah, He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves. 

Yeah, He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves us, 
Oh how He loves.