Sometimes we need a hole to crawl into.

I recently spoke at a conference sponsored by a small rural church in Alabama. Several of the families had been in the path of one of the tornadoes that swept through the state. One of the families had a storm shelter/basement. Several nearby families did not. So, they ran for the house of the family that did.

When they all emerged, the house above them was gone. Yet the houses of the other families were still standing.

The family with the shelter has nine children. Their shelter had provided a safety zone for other families. Yet, after the tornado had moved on, the family with the shelter turned out to be the primary victim.

Another family in a different part of the county was also hit by a tornado. The family had 13 children. They had no storm shelter. The walls of the house collapsed. The father was lying on top of a child. Some of the falling debris killed him. No one else died.

The church immediately set up a fund for the victims. The members pulled together. They did not seek FEMA aid.