Inspire, Spring 2002

Karen Roop K aren Roop is the mother of three Cedarville alumni— Timothy ’94, Cliff Jr. ’92, and Michelle Roop Leitch ’83. Karen is one of those moms who prays without ceasing for her children. In doing so, she has seen God work in strange ways. During one particular time of intercession, a tornado interrupted her. When she returned home from work on September 20, 2000, Karen found a message asking her to call her youngest son, Tim. Karen called him. “As Tim shared his concerns with me, I felt the urge to pray aloud with him,” she shared. “As I waited for an opening in the conversation, I praised the Lord for giving Timothy to us and for what he had become—a police officer in Xenia, Ohio, following his graduation from Cedarville. I thanked God for Tim’s insight as he deals with people’s problems daily. Then I asked for God’s angels to surround him (thinking of his upcoming night shift duty). I asked that I would be faithful to stand in the gap by praying for him.” It had been raining hard during their conversation and prayer, when suddenly the phone line went dead. “Neither Tim nor I know exactly at what part of the prayer [the line went dead], but when it did, Tim realized the sound of the wind had changed. There was no warning of the approaching F-4 tornado. Tim dove for the center hall, closing all its doors, waiting for quiet,” Karen said. Fifteen minutes later, Tim called her on his cell phone. “Mom, I’ve got my uniform on, I’m going out (four hours early) to help. The church across the street lost its roof!” he said. In the days following, Karen and Tim learned the F-4 tornado had devastated the area all around Tim. There was damage to his home and truck. His storage shed was torn from its foundation and flung across the street, but Tim was protected. “Only eternity will reveal how much prayer does for others. This one thing I know, prayer changes people who pray,” said Karen. A Whirlwind of Prayer 16 Spring 2002 Timothy Roop ’94