It's all in the translation

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 KJV
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 New American Standard
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Amplified Bible
Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be] with you all.

My plans for a picnic with my Mother on Mother's day were changed by an F2 tornado that whipped across the counties surrounding where we live. The strange thing is that my mother and I only knew that the wind was blowing really hard and the rain would come and go in bursts like running through a car wash and then getting the blower to push the remaining water drops off. I did get up several times Saturday night to check and make sure it was just high winds, but for the most part I was comfy in my bed with Cocoa Puff by my side.

Before church I called to make sure my Mother was okay and told her we would just go somewhere for dinner and do some shopping at the mall. She said that was fine with her. I should have turned on the news, but I didn't. As far as I could see, all was well. I did have a messy yard, but nothing but downed leaves so I wasn't concerned. At SS and church I heard nothing about any bad weather, so it was a surprise to both my Mother and me when we learned that Macon had sustained an F2 tornado.

We had driven to Macon to eat at my Mother's favorite 5 star restaurant "Cracker Barrel". :) It was closed. We had noticed choppers in the air, but thought they were over a car wreck or something. We had noticed a few trees down, but thought it was probably because of last year’s drought. We had noticed that there were lots of police cars on the road but as soon as we got off the interstate we realized something huge had happened and we were going to be eyewitnesses to the aftermath.

Not only was Cracker Barrel closed, all the other places including both malls were completely closed. Some of stores and eating places we could tell had lots of damage to the outside of the buildings and there were no traffic lights working. Police men and volunteers were out trying to direct traffic as emergency crews worked to clear the roads of downed electrical lines, trees and building debris. It was surreal, like being in a war zone. There was mass confusion all over and many of the roads were still blocked. We had to turn our car around the same as so many other that I know were trying to get across town probably to check on loved ones or maybe even get to emergency care. It did frighten me as we tried to weave our way back out and make some sense of what we had gotten ourselves into.

We ended up getting back on the interstate and driving up closer to Atlanta. The interstate looked clear and traffic was moving nicely. About 30 miles up the road we stopped and at a Shoney's. That was around 3:00 pm and both of us were getting hungry. We did have to wait a bit to be seated and while we waited we talked with others in the line. It so happened that the people before and after us were both from Macon and had come to find something to eat because they had no electricity. They both stated how lucky they were to be alive and told us their stories about the F2 tornado. Mother and I listened with complete interest shaking our heads back and forth as they poured out their words as fast as I know the F2 had struck. We could tell they were still shook up and this was HOURS after the event. They needed to talk. We needed to listen. All those around us shared how good God had been to protect them through it all and we agreed bobbing our heads like little toy bobble heads, just listening, agreeing and letting them get it all out.

Needless to say, Mother and I made the loop back home safely and watched the Macon news channel that night to see horrible damage done to the very section of Macon we had tried to get to.

This morning I read different translations of 2 Thessalonians 3:16 and am reminded again what huge job translators have. Just like me trying to describe the F2, there is so much more feeling that just can't be put down in words. Some say that much is lost in translation and I know that's true just with my feeble attempts to describe the F2. You almost have to be there. That's why I know it's so important to let God's word speak to you and tell you what He wants you to hear each day.

Tuesday's Treasure



This vase is just about three inches tall and has held many tiny flowers given to me by tiny hands eager to share a bloom found or sometimes just me finding little blooms or weeds to enjoy. This spring it held flowering quince picked by Carley Ann. I'm so glad the vase is still around and the tradition continues. It makes a great centerpiece for stuffed bear tea parties. :)