the tornado effect

i’ve always been facinated by tornadoes.  when i was younger i wanted to be a tornado chaser.  i still am in awe of their power and destructive forces and find them really cool (not the destruction, just the tornado itself, just to clarify.) on my lifetime goals list is to see one.  anyhow, i was reminded of tornadoes the other day in an unassuming way.  this last week has been full of conversations with people who are going through some really tough life situations right now.  a couple weeks ago i was in a ‘life fog,’ as i like to call them, and was just out of it.  the negativity and crap and other things seemed to consume all my thoughts.  i’ve worked through them and am doing much much better.  now this week, when i’m having one of the best weeks of the year thus far, it seems as though a lot of my friends are in the boat i was in a while ago.  i was doing some writing last night, and when i write my mind wanders and random thoughts pop into my brain.  the way life is right now and tends to go, reminded me of a tornado.  tornadoes are formed by air pressure and other weather factors being all lined up and present at the same time.  they pop down wherever and it’s hit and miss as to whether or not it will hit your house or your property or your town.  if you look at towns that have had tornadoes touch down, one side of the street will be completely destroyed while the other side will be relatively untouched.  and then, without warning, the tornado just picks itself up and vanishes.  life seems like that to me sometimes.  like right now for instance.  a storm touched down in my life and had the potential to do some damage, then it lifted and set down in the lives of my friends.  while they are now dealing with some pretty heavy stuff, my life is seeming pretty calm.  i think sometimes God’s hand is in that.  they have all come to me or i have felt the urge to go to them, and had my life been in the tangled mess it was in a while ago, i would have been of absolutely no use to them now in their time of hurt.  anyhow, that was my random thought tangent from last night.