What Do You Even Say?

I lived in southwest Missouri for all of my high school years and a year after. I have relatives that lived and still live in Joplin. My first date was with a boy from Joplin. I sang in the choir of "Saturday's Warrior" in Joplin and attended stake dances and Super Saturdays there.

Today, Joplin was nearly demolished by tornadoes. My uncle's house and my grandparent's house were completely destroyed.

Facebook was loaded tonight with family and friends trying to find their loved ones as well as heartbreaking images of the devastation. The news shared words like "search and rescue crews" and "mobile mortuary units" that horribly illustrated just how life-changing today is for so many people. A TV crew looked out over the town and the crushing devastation was shocking.

Thankfully, my family is all safe and accounted for and for that I'm so grateful. But tonight when I go to bed and sleep peacefully through the night, others will be out looking for their missing loved ones and trying to salvage what little bit of their lives they can.

I'm so sorry. My heart, my thoughts and my prayers go out to all of those suffering.