September 12, 2017
This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to the coast and assist with the clean up from hurricane Harvey. The amount of work that needs to be done is great and as the time passes the volunteers and workers become few and far between.
As we drove through Aransas Pass there were some buildings that were completely leveled and while their neighbor had minor damage. This was not the first time I had seen devastation to a community. I have helped with the aftermath of a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, as well as clean up from the tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma a few years ago. This past summer I also had the opportunity to drive through the mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee and see the beginnings of regrowth after their recent fire. The difference in those occasions and this one had to do with me personally though. I had grown up going to Port Aransas and Aransas Pass and therefore I knew what it had looked like before the destruction. Comparing the before and after in my minds eye was a humbling experience.
While we were there we helped two families. One older lady had 3 trees fall in her backyard and we had the task of removing the stumps and leveling the back yard the best we could. The other family had a workshop that had collapsed and the contents ruined by the elements. This particular job was the most humbling. This workshop was also where many keepsakes, miscellaneous items and important documents were housed. Before we arrived the owners had already salvaged what they could. As we moved everything from knickknacks, old clothes, and children toys to the walls, furniture and insulation to the trash pile by the road I couldn't help but think of how pieces of these peoples lives were lost so quickly to the elements. Any memories that had been attached to items now had to live solely in memory.
The entire experience was so humbling and it reminded me of the uncertainty of life. For those who left town they had no idea how much of their property would be destroyed and when they returned they probably questioned why their home was destroyed while others stood. While one could dwell on this and the imbalance which lies in such situations it is more beneficial to find the silver lining among the storm clouds. The person who returned to a house still standing could then use their resources to help others and those who returned to nothing have the opportunity to start over. It also reminds us that life is temporary and the items we accumulate can be easily stolen or destroyed. With that in mind we should strive to emphasize the experiences and the people more than the stuff that we get.
After all was said and done and our team called it a day we drove down to the beach. It had been a long day and we were all exhausted yet we found an energy reserve as we took our shoes off and the sand squished between our toes and the sound of the waves filled our ears. We rolled our jeans up and headed straight for the water. The beach had trash that had washed in with the tide but their was beauty in the shells that also covered the sand. At one point I stood looking out at the ocean, my boyfriend behind me with his arms around me, my friends laughing and running and jumping in the waves and I couldn't help but think of the greatness of the God that created my surroundings and the amazing design behind them. That though we were amid the wreckage, nature was already resetting and we were still able to find joy, happiness, and peace as many joined together to help rebuild.
Job 1: Before and During
Job 1: After
The Beach at Port Aransas
This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to the coast and assist with the clean up from hurricane Harvey. The amount of work that needs to be done is great and as the time passes the volunteers and workers become few and far between.
As we drove through Aransas Pass there were some buildings that were completely leveled and while their neighbor had minor damage. This was not the first time I had seen devastation to a community. I have helped with the aftermath of a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, as well as clean up from the tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma a few years ago. This past summer I also had the opportunity to drive through the mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee and see the beginnings of regrowth after their recent fire. The difference in those occasions and this one had to do with me personally though. I had grown up going to Port Aransas and Aransas Pass and therefore I knew what it had looked like before the destruction. Comparing the before and after in my minds eye was a humbling experience.
While we were there we helped two families. One older lady had 3 trees fall in her backyard and we had the task of removing the stumps and leveling the back yard the best we could. The other family had a workshop that had collapsed and the contents ruined by the elements. This particular job was the most humbling. This workshop was also where many keepsakes, miscellaneous items and important documents were housed. Before we arrived the owners had already salvaged what they could. As we moved everything from knickknacks, old clothes, and children toys to the walls, furniture and insulation to the trash pile by the road I couldn't help but think of how pieces of these peoples lives were lost so quickly to the elements. Any memories that had been attached to items now had to live solely in memory.
The entire experience was so humbling and it reminded me of the uncertainty of life. For those who left town they had no idea how much of their property would be destroyed and when they returned they probably questioned why their home was destroyed while others stood. While one could dwell on this and the imbalance which lies in such situations it is more beneficial to find the silver lining among the storm clouds. The person who returned to a house still standing could then use their resources to help others and those who returned to nothing have the opportunity to start over. It also reminds us that life is temporary and the items we accumulate can be easily stolen or destroyed. With that in mind we should strive to emphasize the experiences and the people more than the stuff that we get.
After all was said and done and our team called it a day we drove down to the beach. It had been a long day and we were all exhausted yet we found an energy reserve as we took our shoes off and the sand squished between our toes and the sound of the waves filled our ears. We rolled our jeans up and headed straight for the water. The beach had trash that had washed in with the tide but their was beauty in the shells that also covered the sand. At one point I stood looking out at the ocean, my boyfriend behind me with his arms around me, my friends laughing and running and jumping in the waves and I couldn't help but think of the greatness of the God that created my surroundings and the amazing design behind them. That though we were amid the wreckage, nature was already resetting and we were still able to find joy, happiness, and peace as many joined together to help rebuild.
Job 1: Before and During
Job 1: After
Job 2: Before
Job 2: After
Job 2: Trash Pile
Holly, bless you. I can't believe that you went all the way to the coast! This is my favorite line, "That though we were amid the wreckage, nature was already resetting and we were still able to find joy, happiness, and peace as many joined together to help rebuild." <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this experience. Sending money to help didn't feel quite as good as if we could have gone to actually help, but I pray it gets to the right people. I agree that it is all very humbling to see how quickly life changes.
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