One month later

It’s hard to believe it was only a month ago that the rain came down and the floods came up.

It feels like yesterday. And it feels like a year ago. It seems near and far away at the same time.

It feels like yesterday because I don’t know if I can describe to you how traumatic this all was. I didn’t comprehend that something big was happening until very late in the day on Saturday and then I felt helpless and anxious. I couldn’t control the rain; I couldn’t go anywhere; I couldn’t stop thinking about what was happening; I couldn’t help anyone. I remember standing at my front door looking out at the rain and imploring God to make it stop. I felt overly anxious and spent a lot of time expending that energy cooking large amounts of food when no one could really come to my house and enjoy it with me. I like being in control and the lesson I learned that weekend was that I’m never really in control of anything. I may think I am; I may think that I have everything under control and moving along perfectly according to my plan, but the truth is, I don’t. I’m not in control and my plans aren’t always the best plans. But God is in control. And in the end, I’d rather follow His plan and know His peace than forge my own and forfeit that peace. And I speak those words from experience.

The flood seems far away, too. It’s not all you see on the news anymore. Most of the people directly affected have returned to work, have found places to live while their houses are basically rebuilt, and everything seems kind of normal if you just don’t look any further than that. We’re moving on and somehow, that makes the tragedy of it all seem less terrifying, overwhelming, and big. I don’t see the damage every day anymore. Pretty much all the businesses on the riverfront have opened back up. Life has gone on and the images are beginning to fade in our collective memories.

The Nashville flood was never a huge national story, at least not one that captivated the nation. And that’s fine. The media coverage we did get helped us to get some help in here and some federal funds to rebuild. But the Nashville flood is a huge story. Because in the aftermath of this tragedy, I’ve gotten to see the heartbeat of my adopted home. And Nashville is a city that loves. That helps. That for a few days in May 2010 displayed exactly what it means to “do unto others as you would have done unto you.” Churches and Christians reached out during this time and I can’t explain the happiness that fills my heart when I think about how I got to see the church do exactly what it’s supposed to do. It’s a blessing to see that, and it’s also something that sadly we don’t get to see very often.

One month later, Nashville is strong. We’re rebuilding. The music never stopped playing. Life is good.

And most of all, because of the way Christians reached out in this time of need, I believe that many people will start or rebuild relationships with Christ.

And that makes me smile.