for the broken hearted people of Washington

Tonight I write this blog for the broken hearted people of Washington, the tornado victims. I keep hearing of people who are suffering such turmoil even now (yes...even more now). On November 17th, the storm took its toll on our homes. Now months later, that catastrophe continues to wreak havoc on our lives in new & twisted ways…

The frustrations are many. People are still battling with their insurance. If your home was too bad to live in but not bad enough to be condemned, you are probably in the hardest situation. Limbo is agonizing. Some peoples' homes are already being rebuilt while others (like ours) have not yet been bulldozed. Decisions are overwhelming. Devastation is still everywhere. It will be years before grass, shrubs, & trees grow.

While people persevere through one hardship after another, stress is eating away at them. It's been a harsh winter, & that has only added to their pain. Husbands & wives are snapping at each other. The tornado caught us all by surprise, & we had no time to prepare ourselves for such a mind boggling process. Marriages are beginning to crumble. Families are struggling. Life is bleak, & it's not getting any better for a long time.

So how do we handle this unwanted journey? My advice: get help. Don't suffer alone, & fight to hang on to your family. Even though it seems like forever, there will be an end. Even though our losses are tremendous, there are brighter days ahead. Realize that change is okay; sometimes things even end up better.

We were suffering & sought help. Compassion was the number 1 response from our doctor & counselor. Our counselor said that we had been through so much, we were unable to handle it anymore. We are human. It's all too much. 6 weeks down the road from when we sought help, I can say… things are better.

Our God is a God of restoration. He will restore our hearts, our homes, our marriages… We just have to humble ourselves & seek help that leads to hope. Flowers will bloom again, the grass will grow, the trees will rise up & bear leaves. It won't be overnight, but it is inevitable. We are made to help each other, to walk hand & hand through this life together. If we reach out for help, there is HOPE.