Hope in the Debris

A clock stopped at 8:45 p.m. A CD hidden under piles of brush showed no signs that a brutal tornado had sent it soaring like a flying saucer to worlds unknown. An artificial Christmas tree branch camouflaged itself under pine tree branches that had broken from the mountain pines. The house that stood on a concrete slab seconds before had only debris as proof a house ever existed there. Family members were injured. Some didn’t make it.

The recent storms in the southeast were like nothing ever seen or felt. One thing was for certain—our lives were changed forever.

But this is not about the tragedy or devastation of it all. One need only to click on any of the media outlets for visual proof.

This is about the debris.

This is about the hope found in the debris.

Examples:

A man was interviewed that had his house burned down in the fall. He had life-threatening heart surgery in the winter. The “new” house he lived in before the storm was reduced to nothing more than a "dirt" spot with no grass growing as evidence that something had actually been there. The interviewer asked him how he felt. He replied that he had his coveralls covering his body, a hat on his head, shoes on his feet and food in his belly. He then smiled and with sincerity said that he was a blessed man.

Then there’s the man who lost almost everything who said that he was able to get up in the morning and give his loved ones a hug. He then asked the reporter to ask him what more could he ask for?

Many cling to the pictures and memories wishing that time would rewind. Then there are those that walk amid the rubble and find hope.

Finding hope speeds the recovery and rebuilding process. We are eternal optimists and eternal-home dwellers. We have discovered that some of the things destroyed were just things and that the important things dwell within us. We have discovered that we are victims only as long as we allow ourselves to be and for as long as we look for only the destruction in the rubble. We have discovered that the most precious ones we love can be taken at a blink of an eye before we even have a chance to crawl in the bathtub and use our bodies as a shield to protect them. We have discovered that angels come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and abilities. But they all have big hearts.

And we realize that many years ago when the Son of God hung on a cross, that God could have sent a tornado to destroy the world, and the world would have been gone—just that quick. But then there would not have been any hope in the debris for mankind.

Week 51 - Ask

Our vacation Bible school has just ended. What a marvelous experience it was for me. I asked one of the children there what his favorite thing was at vacation Bible school. His face just beamed. He said, "I like it all!"

This wasn't because of one person. It was because of God and the team effort in unity of those many volunteers.

This week is "ask" week.

Ask God to guide you as you lead others. I want to feel His presence and see Him in everything that is done.

Ask others who have just finished vacation Bible school what the best thing was and what problems were encountered. The worst thing will tell me what problems to handle before the next one. The best thing lets me know what people will remember and what they will tell others. Sometimes the easiest way to do this is through an evaluation form--a simple one.

Ask yourself if it brought you closer to God. Then ask yourself how you can become even closer to God and bring others closer with the next vacation Bible school. If stress is a factor, then evaluated ways you can manage the stress.

Ask others for help next year. It is not too early. One can form a small planning committee to begin to work on it. In all my years of volunteering, whether it was for vacation Bible school, another Christian service, PTA or any other activity, the number one reason I found that people did not volunteer is because they were not asked.

The volunteers will make it happen. One wants every attendee to say "I like it all!" The child who said it me confirmed it with the smile on his face. And when we sang the song about joy being in my heart, I knew he meant it. I did.