Angels with Chainsaws
Friday, April 10th a deadly tornado struck our community killing an infant and her mother, snapping power lines, uprooting trees, tossing around cars and trucks, and damaging or destroying more than 200 homes. I have never seen anything like it and I hope I never do again.
I’ve also never witnessed the one thing that often happens when tragedy strikes; people coming together. I wasn’t sure how that worked as I put on some old pants and work gloves and headed toward the most devastated area just a few blocks from my house. I envisioned some leader stepping forward with a list of to-dos and a group of volunteers raising their hands and getting it done. But that’s not what I found. There was no one barking orders and no instructions to follow, people simply dug in where they could.
When word spread that a mother and her 9 week old daughter had been killed, a sobering reality set in; as horrible as all of this looks, it’s just stuff. Stuff can be replaced, or not, either way it’s still just stuff.
One man I spoke with called the volunteers who spent the day chewing up limbs and trees, “Angels with Chainsaws.” These folks gassed up, sharpened up, and fired up their machines and went to work. I also noticed something else about these guys; there’s nothing else they’d rather be doing.
One group set up grills on the street and cooked hamburgers and hotdogs. There were dozens of water bottles along the curb, a mini-van filled with Subway sandwiches and chips, and people handing out home baked cookies. Some simply provided a comforting shoulder for people as they sifted through their belongings strewn across their lawns.
Fittingly on this Easter Sunday, only 48 hours since the tornado touched down with its powerful 165 mile per hour winds, there are already signs of restoration. I didn’t hear much open talk about God — yet God is all around us. His greatest command is to love one another, and that often gets lost in the routine of every day life. The next time I feel like the world is filled with nothing but dark storm clouds, I’ll remember the day after the tornado — the day the clouds broke up, the sun broke through, and a community came back to life on Easter weekend.
April 12, 2009 at 1:29 pm
This is a very moving post, Curt. I tried to read it aloud to Gail and couldn’t get through it.
Every day is a gift. We should take nothing for granted. Thank God for Easter and the reminder that death and devastation is not the end of the story.
Bless you.
April 12, 2009 at 1:48 pm
When I first read Michael Hyatt’s tweet about a tornado warning I prayed for everyone in its path and will continue to do so.
God be with you.
April 12, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Thanks for sharing this. It is so wonderful to hear about goodness in the world. It is refreshing since the media just spews bad news 24/7. God bless!
April 12, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Curt ,
wow… I drove on thompson lane today and couldn’t believe my eyes at what i saw.. The tornado that touched down in walter hill hit about a mile or so from our house.. there are a lot of trees & debris around the road behind our house.. I couldn’t believe my eyes as i drove from church to the post office on memorial blvd..
I am wanting to do what i can.. since i apprently can’t handle a chainsaw lol.. I stopped by new vision baptist church and will there this afternoon after i get things settled here with my husband and will be helping serve dinner & doing what needs to be down there..
Praying that souls who don’t know him will be reached during this difficult time!
God Bless!
April 12, 2009 at 6:10 pm
This so reminds me of Hurricane Andrew’s thirty square miles of total devastation in 1992 (yes, a long time ago but some things you simply never, ever forget). Those first few days of chaos are still vivid. We were about two hours north of there yet felt compelled, as did many in our church, to do something…anything…to make a difference. And no, there was no one person or organization in those first 48 hours directing “traffic”. We just got in our cars and vans and went south. One incident stands out so vividly because it embodied the spirit of those weeks. I ran an insurance agency and one day about ten days after Andrew touched down a man came into our office to check on a claim (he was in our town on business and knew the wait at the claim centers in Miami would be hours and hours). We checked for him and while waiting on the phone he told us some of his story…sitting in his front yard in 90+ temps with a shotgun across his lap to warn off looters…no showers or ice or hot food…neighbors (the ones that stayed) pooling their food and resources to survive until help came…comfort for the wounded, those grieving the loss of their homes and dreams. We asked him if he wanted to come home with one of us so he could at least shower. His response? “Thank you but I’ll wait until my wife can take one.” We were rendered speechless as we realized that this simple kindness – husband to wife – was the best of our human species…putting the most basics of physical comforts second to caring for our families, neighbors, and friends. Thanks, Curt, for sharing your story. With all the darkness in our world it’s nice to be reminded that at their essence we are good people who love and care about each other. I pray you and your community will be blessed and comforted seeing God at work through the kindness of neighbors and friends.
April 13, 2009 at 7:32 am
Ever since all the tornado warnings showed up on twitter from Central TN my family has asked multiple times if everyone is okay. Yours is the first news we’ve heard about the impact.
We are saddened for your community’s loss, yet encouraged by the quiet and steadfast determination of friends and neighbors to gather and assist.
Holding up the family of the mother and child, as well as your whole community in prayer.
Thanks for sharing.
April 20, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Still praying for you…
love, Breeze