In the Wake of a Storm

After hurricane Sandy I remember opening my front door and thinking "not much has changed." We saw a tree down across the street and there had clearly been a storm but it was nothing compared to the raging wind and rain from just a few hours ago. At one point during the storm we had attempted to walk down to the riverfront to watch the waters rage but we were quickly chased back into our home as the wind made waste of our umbrellas and the conditions seemed to get worse by the moment.

The next day we left our house feeling stir crazy after watching what seemed like the same exact news casting for 2 days straight. As we left our house we began to see more of what the storm had left behind. Just a few streets away Cara's favorite playground was under water and major roads were flooded. Still, Burlington fared well. The biggest news being a car fire caused by downed wires just around the corner from our house.

It wasn't until a month later when Bill and I took a drive along the coastline that I saw first hand how drastically things were changed. We saw trees uprooted and tossed aside. Trees that had probably been standing there for hundreds of years. We saw entire buildings along the coast sitting at a 45 degree angle. We saw other places where buildings had once stood and not a thing remained. We watched as people dragged furniture to the curbside, essentially emptying their homes. There was a parking lot full of damaged refrigerators, another full of furniture, and another other piles of broken debris.

Sometimes the storms in our life rock us to the core. Deep rooted things are ripped out leaving scars of there they once stood. It is storms like this were you don't even realize the extent of the damage at first. It can be months later and there are still things to drag to the curb.

We are living in the wake of the storm right now. The loss of Simon digs deep. Please be patient with us as we grieve. Thank you to everyone who has reached out. We too, wish we had answers to all of your questions. We too, wish we knew what was next for our family.

I am confident that God is with us and that we are not alone in this. I've said that many times. As always, God has given me a song to lean on, however when David Crowder wrote it I think he got it wrong. His version of the song focuses on the way we cling to God, but for me in this moment I know it's the other way around. As I am tossed by this storm I know that HE is holding onto ME just like when Simon Peter stepped out of the boat, in his moments of doubt Jesus grabbed him and kept him from sinking. He is holding us and I am so thankful.

Here is my version of the song:

There’s no space that His love can’t reach
There’s no place that we can’t find peace
There’s no end to Amazing Grace
Take me in with your arms spread wide
Take me in like an orphan child
Never let go, never leave my side.

YOU ARE,
Holding on to ME.
YOU ARE,
Holding on to ME.
In the middle of the storm,
YOU are holding on,
YOU ARE!

Love like this, Oh my God to find!
I am overwhelmed what a joy divine!
Love like this sets our hearts on fire!

This is my Resurrection Song
This is my Hallelujah Come
This is why to You I run
This is my Resurrection Song

There’s no space that His love can’t reach
There’s no place that we can’t find peace
There’s no end to Amazing Grace

YOU ARE,
Holding on to ME.
YOU ARE,
Holding on to ME.
In the middle of the storm,
YOU are holding on,
YOU ARE!