Sisters and brothers you will not hear from me next week. Bruce and I will be making the journey back to Garrett-Evangelical to celebrate Nathan's graduation! It seems to have been a long time in coming, and yet in many ways it seems just yesterday he was trying decide which seminary to attend. Being part of the sandwich generation, at the same time we are preparing for this celebration my mother lies in a hospital in Arizona as they try to decide what is infected. The infection is causing her to be delirious and to hallucinate. The good news is that my brother is in Arizona, and can keep an eye on her and my father.

As I am concerned about my family I am aware that there are families in Nigeria who have been torn to pieces, and have no idea where there girls have gone or in what condition they may be. Let us pray for all whose families are in a state of confusion, disruption, and facing the unknown.

God who parents us, we give you thanks for your loving care. We thank you that you guide us when we are lost or confused, that you surround us with your loving arms when life is hard to face, that you challenge us when we become complacent. We pray today for all families in the ups and downs of life they face. We pray for those trying to put their lives back together after the tornadoes and storms. We pray for those whose girls have been kidnapped. We pray for those who are squeezed as a sandwich, facing both joy and sorrow. And we pray that you will help us to be instruments of your loving, healing touch in all situations.

Floods, tornadoes, massive wind damage, fires. What a week it has been! So far I've heard of a UMC in Kansas, one in Arkansas, and one in Tupelo, MS which have sustained damage of various degrees. At least two of those also includes the parsonage. Nearly 40 people have died, and the destruction is massive. The storms are no respecters of social standing, destroying folks with means and folks without. UMCOR is on as many sites as possible, but there is just so much that is spread throughout many, many states. Local and Annual Conference disaster people, supported by UMCOR will have to go it alone in many instances.

Merciful God, we lift to you those who have been affected by the weather of the past week or so. We lift those whose homes, businesses, churches have been damaged or destroyed. We lift those who lost friends or family members. We lift those who are trying to help. We lift those children whose lives have been disrupted. And we pray that we will forever remain open to the needs of those around us.