There before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. (Rev. 4:2)
Three tornadoes ripped through the southeastern part of Minnesota in 1883. One of those tornadoes hit Rochester, killing twenty-four people and injuring two hundred others. The town was nearly demolished. Surrounded by disaster, a British surgeon and his two medically trained sons ministered, around the clock, to those who were injured. Due to their tireless, selfless service, they were later offered money to build a hospital, provided they would direct it.
In 1889, Dr. William Mayo and his two sons, William J. and Charles, agreed to do this. With the money, they built a small clinic that attracted nationwide attention. Over time, this clinic grew. Today, it is known as Mayo Clinic, where five hundred physicians treat over two hundred thousand patients annually. Its reputation is known worldwide.
If we would have interviewed those who were in Rochester on that fateful day in 1883, they would probably have focused on the death and destruction that surrounded them. However, those of us who live now can have a different perspective, due to the forward march of time. Something good came out of this tragedy.
God is always up to something good. Our great and glorious God still reigns, no matter what happens. God being seated on a throne is a reminder that, even when things seem to be out of sync and tumultuous, he is in control.
Trust that God can bring something good out of difficult circumstances.
Jim “Umfundisi” Lo is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, cross-cultural leader, intercessor, and author of several books published by Wesleyan Publishing House.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
