When The Wind Gets Knocked Out Of You

We are planting a church that is opening this September.  It is really the hardest thing we have ever done.

The middle of April this year, we had made some changes in an effort to increase our momentum and get some new families on board with our mission.  Our website had just came out, we were putting the finishing touches on some great new commercials and we were getting ready to move into a much needed fund raising campaign.  In addition, our spirits were high after a recent conference sponsored by our planting organization (ARC: Association of Related Churches).

Everything was going great then April 27th happened.

It began a little after 6am that morning.  I was working night shift at the hospital as a Critical Care Nurse while my wife was home with our five children.  We had heard all week that Alabama was to expect severe weather that Wednesday...and, yes, we do hear that alot here in Alabama.  That early morning, a strong cell was moving into our area.  I had called my wife about 6am to let her know that our school system was on a three hour delay that morning due to weather.  The idea was that her and the kids could sleep in for a little while longer.  We were watching radar at the hospital and I phoned back a few minutes later to let her know that a strong cell was about 10-15 minutes away from our city.

A few minutes later I received a very frantic and disturbing call from my wife.  She was crying and hysterical, letting me know that something had happened at home.  A tornado had touched down in our neighborhood.

The day did not get any better.  Multiple tornadoes continued to strike Alabama throughout the day Wednesday.  As it stands today, 238 people have died and damage estimates are upwards of $5.5 billion.  Hundreds of homes are destroyed.  Five people we knew died.  Areas that I have known since my childhood were destroyed.  It is hard to travel to any part of Northern Alabama and not see damaged areas.  It is tragic, breath taking and amazing all in one.

We were the lucky ones.  Everyone was unhurt.  That morning, I drove home through alot of damage.  The closest I could get to my home was 3 miles.  I walked the rest of the way through trees, power lines and such. The next few days were very different.  No power and sometimes no water.  Cell phone service was limited at times.  We ate lunch in a food line one day.

Today we have power, phone and internet.  Our home is very livable.  We have about $20,000 worth of damage and have spent alot of time cleaning up and helping others.

Yes, I am a man of faith and confidence...but I have to confess.  I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.  I don't think it's self pity, but it could be.  It's all just a little overwhelming.  The other day, I watched a few of the hundreds of tornado videos that were shot that day...that was amazing and very difficult both at the same time.  There remain questions about how this is going to affect alot of things.

The fact is this.  Sometimes no matter how well you play and how hard you go at it, the the wind can sometimes just get knocked out of you.  It is by no means a game ending injury...it just sure is uncomfortable for a few minutes.  The treatment....pause for a moment, make sure you are okay otherwise, then get right back in the game.

See life is not about whether or not you get hit (because you will), it is about recovering from those hits.  That's what makes you victorious..not getting hit, but getting over them.