If I die before I wake...

There is a line of severe storms rolling across middle America tonight. A number of them are spawning supercells - the breeding ground for tornadoes. And the target path of these storms is aimed right across my neighborhood - the far south side of Chicago and nearby Indiana counties.

The most deadly time for tornadoes to strike is at night - sleeping folk rarely hear the sirens, and I don't even think this neighborhood has tornado sirens (in contrast to my world in Kansas, where there were siren towers on every other corner). And the targeted arrival time for these storms in our area is around 4 AM...

So the old children's prayer comes to mind tonight:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

And if that does happen, I need to say this.

God has been good to me. Much better than I deserve, in fact. I forget that truth a lot - even as recently as this morning, in fact. That doesn't change the truth, however.

I would have chosen things to go much differently in my life than they have gone - of that, there is no doubt. But I have had 15 years of grace "in the bonus round," so to speak. I have had the love of my family restored, and a circle of friends that I could not have imagined - including many digital denizens whom I've met across the blogosphere. Each of you have blessed my life in real and powerful ways - and I am grateful to a loving God that I've had a season in your path.

Chances are many to one that nothing will happen, and I will rise and have to drag my carcass to work. But if something unpleasant does happen, let these words from Marty Haugen be a worthy elegy:

Healer of our every ill
Light of each tomorrow
Give us faith beyond our fears
And hope beyond our sorrows...