Christ is Relevant to Tornadoes and Loss

relevant: having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand; affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion. (Webster's dictionary)

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

Angie had attained her goal. They had moved into the perfect house in the perfect subdivision, and she was going to make sure everything stayed perfect. Her floors were polished with a perfect shine. The walls were painted with designer paint. The baseboards were repainted every time a scuff appeared. The children were delighted that they were not allowed to wear their shoes in the house, but not so delighted that they were only allowed to have one toy out of its designated location at a time. Their yard was meticulously manicured, with every pebble in place, and not a dandelion to be found. Angie was convinced her house was the evidence she was in right standing with God. After all, look at how He had blessed her! Her house gave her a sense of worth and value.

But then the tornado came. Within a few brief moments everything was lost, except the family’s lives. And even more devastating was the fact that the insurance company did not reimburse for losses occurring as a result of “acts of God.” Why had God left her with unhappiness, despair, disappointment, and jealousy?

Grieving is the process of adjusting your life because something is lost. As we adjust and reorganize our lives based on a loss, there are two avenues we may take. We may fall into toxic grief, or we may choose healthy grief.

Toxic grief results when we adjust our lives based on lies. Our choices are poisoned by the deception we accept as truth. The downward spiral of toxic grief may resemble this scenario: “I lost my job; I have no way to support my family; I am worthless; we won’t have any food; our house will go into foreclosure; we will be on the streets at Christmastime; my life is over.”

Healthy grief views loss from the perspective of God’s truths. The same scenario can result in praise and earnest expectation: “I lost my job because I stood for what is right; God promises He will supply my every need (Phil. 4:19); God declares He will never leave me or forsake me (Heb. 13:5); He knows the plans He has for me (Jer. 29:11); I can trust God (Ps. 28:7).”

Grief issues span the spectrum of what might be considered insignificant to some through extreme crisis situations. It is the essence of grief to coexist with what we cannot control, and it is essential that we are content in Christ while coexisting with what we can’t control. The intensity of the grief often reveals the value an individual has placed on a person, position, or possession. In the resolution of grief it is imperative to recognize Christ as relevant to every situation we encounter. “How does God expect me to adjust my life based on this loss and remembering His love, care, and trustworthiness?” Yes, this applies to tornadoes, cancer, divorce, death, and every other scenario we can conjure up. God is fully capable of handling us through everything!