May the Lord have mercy on those who are hurting.
My thoughts have been on those affected by the tornado in Oklahoma, as I’m sure yours have been, too. I’ve been thinking of those injured, of those who have lost their homes, and especially of those who have lost loved ones.
Tuesday evening I worked until about 8, then my husband picked me up and we stopped by a little diner in town for a bite to eat.
I’ve been deep into newspaper layout and editing today and didn’t come up for air very often. So Larry caught me up on the news from Oklahoma. He had been able to watch the evening newscasts.
I listened to his stories, and I realized that we’re both drawn to the personal stories, to the stories about individuals who experienced the storm, to the ways people are helping each other.
We talked about how we would handle something like that happening in Altavista, and neither one of us could truly imagine what it would be like find our home gone, our town destroyed, our lives devastated in that manner.
I would hope that we would react like so many did in the stories Larry told me: with strength, with compassion, with pluck.
I would also hope that I would remember that there were many, many people praying, sending healing thoughts, giving money and water and just connecting.
I wish I could remember it all the time. It seems like I remember it best in times of tragedy in this world. And that is this fact: we are all connected. We are all connected.
May the Lord have mercy on those who are hurting.
In what ways do you feel connected to others during hard times?
I have always felt that we were all connected that is what I have based most of my life on. My heart is heavy and a sense of helplessness grips me with this one. B
ReplyDeleteThanks, Buttons. I think so many of us feel that sense of helplessness. It's hard not to feel that way when you see the results of such a disaster.
DeleteI love seeing the inspirational stories that come from these types of tragedies. Did you see the woman who found her dog while being interviewed?? It was SO amazing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith. I didn't see that story, but I bet it was heartening. I love stories like that, too. It reminds me of the resilience we have that we might not even be aware of.
DeleteIt breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteI feel helpless in the face of all this devastation. All I can do is pray and send a donation.
Thanks, Elizabeth. It is heartbreaking. Praying and donating are two very important things to do, I believe.
DeleteNature isn't always kind. That was a horrible day. So sad.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon. You are right--nature is not always kind and it is certainly not within our control. We just have to hold on to each other.
DeleteIt is really awful. I love how you and Larry talk about things like that. Seems like you have really good communication together.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa. Yes, Larry and I talk about just about every subject imaginable. We don't always agree on everything, of course. :-)
DeleteI saw and heard about the devastation, it is so sad. All we can do is pray and for those who are able to, send money to help. I saw something good, though. A fireman was able to find and save a cat.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Doesn't it do your heart good to hear stories like that, of rescues and people helping others?
DeleteIt's really heartbreaking to see- especially the children. I have a long time friend in a town nearby and I am always terrified when I hear about a tornado in Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina. Hearing about the children was particularly hard.
DeleteGreat post, Tina. It just seems that it has been one tragedy after another in our country for a while. Some have been closer to home than others, but as you say, I feel the connection no matter where.........
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janet. I hope those suffering get some comfort from knowing that so many others are thinking of them.
Deletei do hope the majority of us will never experience such a tragic loss. God bless them.
ReplyDeleteI hope so, too. Thank you for your comment.
DeleteI admit that I don't watch the news, not even for a few moments. (My own personal reasons behind that.) I did, however, hear of this and see a few images - and it's heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteJust as so many others are, I'm sending thoughts of hope and recovery their way.
Thanks, Amanda. It is heartbreaking.
DeleteThank you for your thoughts on this, Tina. It is incredibly heartbreaking and the thing that I always struggle with is that the damage seems so random. One house can be just fine, and the one next door just totally destroyed, taking precious lives with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sunny. I agree--the randomness of it is hard to deal with sometimes.
DeleteI also can't imagine the scope of this tornado. We had one hit our town in 2011 and it was devastating but not to this extent. Good friends of ours had their house severely damaged but were able to get back into it about a year after the storm. They were lucky and they know it. The scary thing about these kinds of storms is the sheer randomness of them. I am not sure what I would do if I were involved in something of that magnitude.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barbara. I, too, don't know how I would handle something of this scope happening where I am. I guess we really don't know until we go through it.
Deletewe are all connected....we all look at the same sun, we all look at the same moon!!
ReplyDeletethey will find strength in community and loved ones to recover and rebuild!!
Thank you, Debbie, for sharing your faith and optimism!
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