Thirty Days Ago

Thirty days ago I did not know Phil Campbell or Hackleburg, Alabama existed. The fury of tornadoes that ravaged through the state of Alabama on April 27 changed that for me.

That Wednesday started out as any other day even though the weather men had been talking storms for a week. When you live in the south, March and April is tornado season. So having severe thunderstorms with tornado watches or even warnings for that matter are quite common.

Yet by Wednesday night things were different. Although the storms passed all around our little town of Lacey's Spring, we did lose power around 5:30 that evening.  By eight or nine that night the worst was over and reports from battery operated radio were indicating several tornado touchdowns and damage.

Because the media tend to sensationalize so much it was hard to know how bad things were. There were thousands without power. We used the down time to pull out Granddaddy's burners from the fish fries and cooked out on the deck. On Thursday we realized obtaining gas was to be a problem because of the power outage. For the first time I can remember the city and county were put under a mandatory curfew for days.  Fortunately our power returned by early Friday morning while most in the surrounding areas were without until the following Monday and many as late as Wednesday. Generators became a hot commodity for many quickly.

Since work was shut down we took the time to travel to Nashville to see Mary Catherine play some softball. We managed to get enough gas from two different stations to get us up there. It wasn't until late Friday night when Lawren opened her laptop in the hotel did we finally see what devastation there was across the state.  The sights were overwhelming. Videos of the many tornadoes were already downloaded to YouTube. It was worse than a horror movie.  It wasn't long before the realization sunk in there were many deaths and many still missing.

My heart became burdened for the communities hit the hardest. One tornado swept just 17 miles south of my home taking an entire family of five. The next closest storm hit about thirty miles northeast of here.  Although I have never lived through a tornado hit, I know exactly what it feels like to wake up one day and your world be turned upside down. Having spent a year in grief from tragic and unexpected loss endears you to those who are suffering their own tragic loss.

Within days teams were formed and people headed out to serve their neighbors. My mother's day gift this year was an opportunity to serve alongside my oldest daughter and oldest son in the  Harvest area. Most of our time there was spent hauling tree limbs from fallen trees.

Less than two weeks later many of us headed over to Phil Campbell, Alabama where a disaster relief team was already in place cooking meals for volunteers serving in the community.  What an eye opening experience to see a community completely leveled and hear the tragic stories of lost lives and loved ones.

These experiences has drawn my oldest daughter Lawren back two more times. Lawren took a team from the southeast family YMCA yesterday to work in Hackleburg. The entire day was spent clearing and protecting a victim's fig tree before her place was to be bulldozed over.

The task is overwhelming ahead for these two towns in particular but for many others as well. There is simply not enough man power to get the job done. I have pondered the following many times over the past month:

Why did the tornado take that route?  Daily I have thanked the Lord for His protection and provision of safety. On my best day I can feel overwhelmed as a single mom of five. It is beyond my psyche to consider what it might feel like to open a closet door and your house be gone or to find dead people in your yard and pool. I just simply can't imagine the hardship even though intellectually I know God would be enough.

Where are all the families that lived in those homes that are gone?

What's the man to do that lost his entire family?

What's the woman to do who was an orphan and widow? While she stayed in a hotel waiting on an adjuster, looters came and took all her valuables from her basement.

The suffering of the tornado victims and the suffering I experienced this past year has propelled me to go and be with them in their painful place. I can work hard to remove brush, debris, etc, I can give them food and water but most importantly I can be present in their hard place. Just present so they realize they are not alone in this difficult time.  I certainly cannot change their circumstances.

I can only hope that my small act of service might inspire someone else to go and be with someone hurting when the time comes. We were not meant to be alone. And in the event that tragedy ever hits Lacey's Spring, Alabama there is someone somewhere who will come be with us as well.

Recently one of my dear friends Carol joined me on a recent trip to Phil Campbell. Presently she is joining forces with her daughter near the Tuscaloosa area to help one family rebuild their home. A FEMA trailer is coming but it will be empty. She is on a hunt for baby cribs, mattresses and bed frames for the family. If anyone has any to share please let me know. 

When I Was a Little Girl..

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a stewardess. I think they call them "flight attendants" now.  But I wanted to fly on airplanes and bring people their drinks.  Most likely this idea came about from my yearly flights to Shreveport, LA to visit Aunt Peg. She would typically fly my brother Jonathan and myself out each year at different times to visit her.

I loved every moment about the flight experience. I especially got a lot of attention being a child traveler. You got to visit the pilot in his cabin and received a pair of Delta wings after every flight. The flight attendant paid special attention to you and brought you extra peanuts and coke.  Somewhere I even have a picture taken with a man at the Delta counter in some airport.

Each year I observed the flight attendants and dreamed about becoming one when I grew up. It was on every grade school sheet that asked, "When I grow up I want to be a ______________."

My work today is a lot like a flight attendant. Rather than a plane I work at Lyn's Gracious Goodness behind a counter. I take your order or deliver your sandwich to you when it's complete, often complete your order by plating your salad, wipe your table, and give you a cup to fix your drink.

Not only do I enjoy serving  but I have grown to love the customers at the shop as well. We have some regulars who eat with us several times a week. They take the time to ask how you are, smile, and are genuinely thankful that you have served them.

Sometimes my job includes leaving the restaurant to go and work a catered event. This past week I served at a local bank board luncheon. So what happens is the following: I go to work in my uniform which consists of shorts, Lyn's lime green tee (with the big orange fork), and tennis shoes covered in red clay from hours at the ball field practicing and coaching.

Once at work, items are loaded into my van for the lunch. All the goodness is hauled down the street and unloaded and carried, thankfully by cart, up to the fourth floor board room where it is unloaded again.

The next hour is spent folding napkins, putting out water and tea glasses, salt and pepper shakers, sugar containers, and silverware, plating the salad and finally filling the glasses with ice, water and tea. Meanwhile, the yummy lunch goodness is warming in the oven.  Everything looks great. I am now just waiting for the board members to arrive.

Meanwhile I forgot to mention that my contact has said hello. I have inquired how her mother is who is transitioning between apartment living with a housesitter to a residential home. My friend relays to me how her mom fell during the day of the tornadoes and had to travel by ambulance to the hospital with a broken pelvis. We share because this job of serving has afforded me the privilege of building relationships with people who care about one another's lives.

Everything is ready...except for my clothes. You can't serve board members in shorts and a tee shirt. So I race into the bathroom and change into my black pants, black heels, and black top. For a minute I feel like Wonderwoman, who had a regular life but when duty called went into a corner and came out a superhero to meet the needs of the moment. The outfit isn't exactly like the flight attendant's navy blue but it's real close.

I proceed back to the kitchen of the boardroom where for the next hour I serve the fourteen board members their lunch. This particular day it's fresh salad greens with tomatoes, toasted pecans, and green onions topped with basil buttermilk dressing. Next there is pot roast and gravy, mashed potatoes, greenbeans, and cornbread. For desert we have chocolate silk pie with homemade whipped cream and coffee if desired. My bank contact helps me clear and serve while I keep their glasses full of water and tea. As usual, lunch is a hit.

Both jobs..the flight attendant and my restaurant job today are about serving. It's probably a good fit because it's how I am wired. Actually it's how all Christ followers are wired regardless of your profession.

River of life lesson: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider  equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant..."(Philippians 2)

I believe regardless of your position you can be content and fulfilled in  your work when you operate out of your giftings. Many left brainers who spend countless hours toiling over a project for the space system can be equally fulfilled when a particular problem is solved or project is complete. He or she has served their team or supervisor well.

Likewise, in the countless thankless hours of a stay at home mom, she too can rejoice that when she has done everything there is to do in that day, she can say, "I am an unworthy servant, I have only done my duty." (Luke 17:10) This mom has served the Lord as well as her children as she ministered to them throughout the day whether it was fix a cup of juice or wipe a runny nose or stayed up late talking to her older teen or young adult child who is struggling with life issues.

The lesson when we operate out of our giftings in the individual areas the Father has called us to is the realization that He gives us the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."When we delight in the Lord and enjoy fellowship with Him, the overflow is joy and thanksgiving that spills out into other areas of life such as work and family. They get the best of us when we delight in Him.

I realize today how the Father has given me the desire of my heart to love and serve others through my role as a mother and also at work. It took getting sidetracked on a business degree in college and many other twists and turns to come to this place of contentment.  Looking ahead, I wonder what it will look like when the fruition of my most recent ten year longing comes about: to open a bed and breakfast in my home. A place to be called  River of Life Inn.

As the longings, ideas, and plans cultivate in my heart and mind, it is with anticipation I look forward to watching how He moves to do what He promises to do: Give us the desires of our heart, when we delight in Him.

If your life lacks joy or contentment, could it be that you are not operating out of your giftings? How are you loving and serving others? If you belong to God, it's your make up. And share your story here. I would love it.