Last Sunday was just an amazing day! We had such an awesome worship time at church, a restful nap that afternoon, and a relaxing evening at home. Little did I know that in three days, many lives in our community would be changed forever...
It had been a rough day for me. I was having a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain and had stayed home from school to rest and get an adjustment from Monica that afternoon to relieve some of the pain. I had brought in dinner from J&S, and we finished eating just in time for Mike to head to church. It was 6:00 PM, January 11, 2012. I was doing something in the kitchen when Brit said that we were in a tornado warning. I knew the weather was rainy and windy, but a tornado? In January? As I turned to track the weather, I quickly realized it was in Icard - the town where my church, family and friends were and where Mike had headed out to just a few minutes ago. Bouncing between Facebook and Twitter, Brit and I sat in shock as we watched WBTV detail our worst fears - a tornado was on the ground there. Immediately I called Mike on his cell phone - no answer. More Facebook watching, Twitter tweets, WBTV.....it was getting worse. Dad called and asked where we were and that he, Becky and Darby were in the bathroom as the storm and tornado whirled very near them. I tried Mike's cell again, and finally he answered. He had no idea there was a tornado when he left out, but as soon as he got to church, he realized what was happening. I began relaying what WBTV was saying about the tornado and its path. We texted back and forth for several minutes, and within those few minutes, a whirlwind of action began taking place across our area AND the state as help began responding to the disaster. In about an hour, the American Red Cross and the NC Baptist Men (and I am sure so many other agencies and groups) were on site at our church and moving out to the community to get homeless victims to our modular units for some rest and peace until they surveyed the damage in the morning.
The next days were a blur of work orders, meals, clean-up, paperwork, and on and on and on.....But the one word that can be used to describe what was happening - COMMUNITY! All of a sudden, there were no individual churches, organizations, restaurants...there was just a COMMUNITY. A community of people from all walks of life that came together to do what had to be done for those who lost it all.
Today, that same community plus so many more gathered and fed THE COMMUNITY lunch. Over 20 churches and restaurants set up a bounty of food and fed the tornado victims and relief workers! It wasn't Christmas or Thanksgiving....you know, those times when we mainly think of feeding and helping others, but the rest of the year....well, not as much. I have never seen so much food in my life! And remember, I'm Baptist, so I have seen a lot of pot-luck dinners! And then, they came......."Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...." The words from the Statue of Liberty rang true in Icard today!
Then, reality hit for me. Many of the victims and their families were afraid to leave their homes (looters, mainly), and others were working diligently to clean up and didn't want to take the time to leave. So we took the food to them. As we traveled down Johnson Bridge Road, the evidence of devastation was overwhelming. Downed trees, roofs blown off, cars damaged...but the people.....They were dirty, tired, and could barely lift one foot in front of the other. As we pulled over to ask if they wanted some lunch, our hearts broke in two! They were so grateful for the food and drink, but they were more grateful that people cared! We listened to stories of how they were affected, work that needed to be done, and thanks over and over for the food.
God, I really don't get all of this. What exactly is Your plan here? The weather people said there had never been a tornado in January in 40 degree weather. I saw a mobile home turned upside down. It was really hard to see this. Why? I do have a plan, My child. It is in the works. But did you see how the community came together this week. Yeah, I was quite pleased with that. Go Ye........Where? Go to...To whom?
For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me." Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' Matthew 25:35-40
It had been a rough day for me. I was having a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain and had stayed home from school to rest and get an adjustment from Monica that afternoon to relieve some of the pain. I had brought in dinner from J&S, and we finished eating just in time for Mike to head to church. It was 6:00 PM, January 11, 2012. I was doing something in the kitchen when Brit said that we were in a tornado warning. I knew the weather was rainy and windy, but a tornado? In January? As I turned to track the weather, I quickly realized it was in Icard - the town where my church, family and friends were and where Mike had headed out to just a few minutes ago. Bouncing between Facebook and Twitter, Brit and I sat in shock as we watched WBTV detail our worst fears - a tornado was on the ground there. Immediately I called Mike on his cell phone - no answer. More Facebook watching, Twitter tweets, WBTV.....it was getting worse. Dad called and asked where we were and that he, Becky and Darby were in the bathroom as the storm and tornado whirled very near them. I tried Mike's cell again, and finally he answered. He had no idea there was a tornado when he left out, but as soon as he got to church, he realized what was happening. I began relaying what WBTV was saying about the tornado and its path. We texted back and forth for several minutes, and within those few minutes, a whirlwind of action began taking place across our area AND the state as help began responding to the disaster. In about an hour, the American Red Cross and the NC Baptist Men (and I am sure so many other agencies and groups) were on site at our church and moving out to the community to get homeless victims to our modular units for some rest and peace until they surveyed the damage in the morning.
The next days were a blur of work orders, meals, clean-up, paperwork, and on and on and on.....But the one word that can be used to describe what was happening - COMMUNITY! All of a sudden, there were no individual churches, organizations, restaurants...there was just a COMMUNITY. A community of people from all walks of life that came together to do what had to be done for those who lost it all.
Today, that same community plus so many more gathered and fed THE COMMUNITY lunch. Over 20 churches and restaurants set up a bounty of food and fed the tornado victims and relief workers! It wasn't Christmas or Thanksgiving....you know, those times when we mainly think of feeding and helping others, but the rest of the year....well, not as much. I have never seen so much food in my life! And remember, I'm Baptist, so I have seen a lot of pot-luck dinners! And then, they came......."Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...." The words from the Statue of Liberty rang true in Icard today!
Then, reality hit for me. Many of the victims and their families were afraid to leave their homes (looters, mainly), and others were working diligently to clean up and didn't want to take the time to leave. So we took the food to them. As we traveled down Johnson Bridge Road, the evidence of devastation was overwhelming. Downed trees, roofs blown off, cars damaged...but the people.....They were dirty, tired, and could barely lift one foot in front of the other. As we pulled over to ask if they wanted some lunch, our hearts broke in two! They were so grateful for the food and drink, but they were more grateful that people cared! We listened to stories of how they were affected, work that needed to be done, and thanks over and over for the food.
God, I really don't get all of this. What exactly is Your plan here? The weather people said there had never been a tornado in January in 40 degree weather. I saw a mobile home turned upside down. It was really hard to see this. Why? I do have a plan, My child. It is in the works. But did you see how the community came together this week. Yeah, I was quite pleased with that. Go Ye........Where? Go to...To whom?
For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me." Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' Matthew 25:35-40
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