Is this real?

I am overwhelmed today looking at the pictures of devastation that crossed our state yesterday. Tuscaloosa, a place I called home for 4 years, is in shambles. Although houses were damaged or lost and cars are gone, my friends and family are all safe. That is all that matters. My heart is heavy for those who lost loved ones. To look at the pictures brings so many emotions and honestly, on a much smaller scale (since we were just in a restaurant), the aftermath of the tornado reminds me of the bombing aftermath. Chaos everywhere. Again, I realize that the turmoil in Tuscaloosa and even Pleasant Grove covers miles instead of just a few thousand square feet, but the resemblance is there. I am currently reading Passion and Purity and I came across this paragraph today so I wanted to share.

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love - that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary's cross, though "legions of angels" might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process." ~ Elisabeth Elliot in P&P