Helpless and shocked. Those were the only words to describe what I felt when seeing the devastation in West Liberty, KY. While I was relieved that my family, friends, and my hometown were sparred from the tornado's raging path, the sorrow and powerlessness is still there.
So many times we hear of towns and families being ripped apart by the violent tornadoes. Yet our hearts aren't as touched until devastation really hits close to home. Until we have experienced similar losses, it can be hard to connect to someone going through a tragedy. There are no magic words to say to someone who's lost a child, a home, or who's been given a death sentence. It's in those moments where saying "Sorry" seems so shallow. Words just don't seem to be enough.
The night the tornadoes hit KY, I was visiting a friend who's been fighting throat cancer for past few years. He's now at home in hospice care. He was having a good day, alert and in good spirits with his daughters nearby. We joked around, pretending that things were normal, but there's a sting in our hearts knowing his days are now numbered. The visit reminded me so much of the last days I spent with my dad. I had a tinge of hope back then that my dad would walk out of the hospice care with a miracle from God. Like being in the middle of a tornado, we are surviving each passing moment, holding on to what's dear to us. I clung on and cherished every second with my dad just as my friend's daughter is now doing. She questioned my experience with my dad's last days, as the heartbreaking memories flooded my mind. What comfort could I bring her when the pain still lingers there?
Getting on with life after my dad's passing has been the hardest part. Feeling the emptiness from what once was or imagining what could have been only prolongs the pain. Yet somehow we struggle through to where we accept the loss and take a step forward.
As I sifted through those pictures of the ruins of West Liberty on the East KY Media site, one stood out the most, a sign that read "A Haven of Hope". After all the destruction, where the monster storm threw around trucks like matchboxes, crushed brick buildings, and wrapped metal around trees like ribbons, a symbol of God's mercy remained. Regardless of where or how the sign came to be, its message of Hope is what this town needs.
Sometimes we can't imagine life after a heartbreak but life does continue. I have heard and sang that "Amazing Grace" song so many times without reflecting on the words. Still when I hear the song, my heart is brought back to my Appalachian roots. Suddenly I am comforted and reminded of a safe place. We may be broken down, have lost our way, living with struggles of pain, but God provides us with the grace and protection we need. It is through our destruction and heartbreak that our eyes are opened. God can't heal or build something new without first tearing down the old. It is in this destruction that we can hope for the positive changes to come into our lives. Oddly, destruction can bring us together as we reach out to others. We have lost a sense of control and are at the mercy of God. Our losses causes us to trust in God, our haven of hope.
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| West Liberty - A Haven of Hope |
May God bless West Liberty and the other places that were affected by this tragedy. Today is a new day to be grateful for our past and our future.
Ways to help:
- Donations (KSP)
God will provide all your Needs.
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