Larry

   The recent storms in Joplin, Missouri have left many of us grateful for those who are okay and amazed at the devastation.  But, in the days of 24/7 news channels, I think that we have developed a thicker skin.  I mean, it’s terrible and I would like to be able to go help, but then the TV is turned off.  I forget, go back to my own life. 

   Yesterday, I was listening to the news guy or the weather/news guy talk about what he was seeking.  Everything was pretty normal and then, they started interviewing a man looking for his neighbor.  I had probably already heard three people talk about looking for their neighbors.  But, this fellow looked at the camera and said he was looking for his neighbor, Larry.  Larry is in his 70s and was home when the tornado hit.  They can’t find him. 

   That hit me.  There was a name, an age, a man – a real person trapped in his house.  I don’t know if he is alive or dead, injured or safe.  I don’t know if he has children or grandchildren, if he is retired, likes or dislikes, etc…   I don’t know what he looks like, his favorite color, if he likes ice cream or dogs.  I don’t know what his thoughts were as the tornado hit his home and created devastation.  I don’t really know anything about him, except his name is Larry, he is in his 70s and he is missing.  I tell you what, that name, the age, it broke the barrier that I had of thick skinned listening before I even knew it was there.

   I hope Larry is okay.  

Tornado Song

   Just over three years ago, a tornado caused severe tree damage to my home. Around 100 trees were literally picked up and twisted from the earth. Arriving home, I found the yard completely covered in sections by entire trees. It was overwhelming, so much work needed to be done to fix this. A phone call came from a state about 8 hours away. A crew of friends came out and helped work. They drove for hours to work, worked extremely hard the next day, and then left the following day to go back to their jobs. As a way to say thank you, a slideshow/video was put together of the many hands that had served. They did such a tremendous amount of work, both in cleaning up the trees and in raising our flagging spirits. One of the songs on the CD was Chris Tomlin’s God of Wonders. The song recognizes the wonders that God has created on earth.

   I heard that song yesterday during church and it was such a reminder to me of the wonder of God! Every tree that fell either fell away from the house or was angled in such a way as it did not cause major damage. We had many who came and helped, many who worked long hot hours amidst chain saws and logs. In the middle of literally destruction, God’s wonders were many and were overwhelming.
   It is easy when the mess is cleaned back up to forget that wonder and awe. It is easy to forget the feelings of friendship and of persistence to clean up the mess. But, then I heard my tornado song and it all came back. God is a wonder indeed.

There are friends and then there are KY Friends

There was a forward going around recently about friends and Kentucky Friends. Basically, it compared friends that cared and Kentucky friends who did more than care, they loved and befriended. I am blessed to have some Kentucky friends. Some of them in my life are from Kentucky (I know – shocking), others are from Ohio, Florida, Iowa, and a myriad of other places.

What makes up a KY friend? It is more than just knowing that your friend is there and showing up occasionally. It is dropping everything, creating a meal, staying up all night, sending twelve texts, plotting with, working with, holding your tongue, sharing your thoughts, and most of all it is being there. The act of just being there – when your heart is broken, when you are dancing in the rain, when your ankle is sprained, when you are on top of the world, when you fall apart at work, when you get a promotion, when the tornado comes ripping through, or when you just are your normal daily self. It isn’t an enchanting friendship, but it’s the webbed strand that holds it all together and still allows for growth, like a hummingbirds nest.

A couple of years ago a tornado really did go through our yard. I came home from a high school reunion in Florida and the world which greeted me upon my return to Iowa had literally been ripped up and tossed about. With my jaw dropped into my shoes, it took only moments for me to be overwhelmed and grateful. Overwhelmed because the trees that were shading the yard were now sprawled across the ground and waiting for the chain saw. Grateful because trees were not on top of the house or through any windows and most importantly no one was hurt.

Many people came to help in the days to follow. Some came and helped with chain saws, others moved wood and helped split it, stacking, piling, clean up – many hands came. Each of these individuals made a difference. One group in particular really made an impact on me. A small caravan from Ohio came with friends and friends of friends. They arrived in the mid-night hour and crashed throughout the house on couches, air mattresses, and the floor. The next morning, after a brief tour to the Mississippi River, they headed out into the yard and worked for hours. It was incredible, they drove eight hours and worked so hard. That evening, over an enormous pot of spaghetti I found myself laughing and was reminded with each bite of the tomato and pasta of the comfort of not the carbs, but the friendship. The next morning, they returned back home and to their respective jobs. I’m not even sure I can describe how overwhelmed I was. When Paul writes about the blessing of praying for his people – I felt that in a new way, I saw it first hand those days. And in the midst of a tornado clean up and an ever growing Strega Nona spaghetti pot, I laughed and laughed, and was so encouraged.

I want to be a KY friend.