Last Wednesday a deadly tornado struck the small town of Adairsville, Georgia. It killed two people and caused the major destruction of a large manufacturing plant and dozens of homes.
Early Saturday before dawn, seven of us from the CGA and two Adventures employees piled in a van and took the two hour trip to Adairsville. Among the hundreds of other volunteers, we spent the day clearing debris from the yards of people whose homes had been destroyed.
Ashley Peterson and Pat Stiller help clear fallen tree branches.
I stood in the freezing rain and watched men with chainsaws clear a tree that had fallen onto a man's garage. Psalm 55 came to my mind.
"I am frightened inside;
the terror of death has attacked me.
I am scared and shaking,
and terror grips me.
I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove.
Then I would fly away and rest.
I would wander far a way
and stay in the desert.
I would hurry to my place of ecape,
far away from the wind and storm."
I've never been the victim of a natural disaster. Where do you go when your home, your possessions, your only refuge has been demolished? How do you find a place to rest your head and your heart?
As I watched the homeowner being interviewed by a journalist, he radiated gratitude and joy. Not terror, not fear, and not hopelessness. He radiated joy.
Even in the midst of this great loss, this man gives his love and laughter to the people around him. As I shook his hand and received his thanks for the day's work, I recognized the peace in his eyes. It's the same peace that overcame me when I nestle myself under the fold of my Father.
When you've got nothing left and your pockets are empty because something big and scary came along and stole all your joy, you find yourself running into the arms of someone bigger and more capable than any other.
When everything is stripped away, you seek shelter. You find the oasis, the refuge, and the peace you were missing amidst the rubble.
It will be months, probably longer, before the town of Adairsville recovers fully from the wreckage. But in the week following this tragic disaster, it's inhabitants are already picking up the grace and joy bestowed by their loving Father. They are hopeful, they are encouraging. They've seen the terror, and they've found their shelter in the Kingdom, hidden far away from the wind and storm of the world.
