Ferguson has been the favorite city of tornadoes in recent years. The monstrous weather events have ripped through my town and left carnage in their path. First, we were hit in 2011. My house was spared but many of my neighbors suffered great loss. My sister had a large oak tree in her backyard that was ripped from its roots and tossed onto her house. The devastation to her neighborhood was brutal. Many of us were glad when 2011 was over. We rebuilt and moved forward.
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Fast forward to 2013. Our family now possesses a weather radio. We sat huddled in the basement and listened to it while another tornado ripped past our house. It was eerily reminiscent of the last event only we felt more seasoned, more prepared to deal with the aftermath. We had purchased a gas stove so we could still cook and therefore the next few days without power were not so stressful. Again, my neighbors rebuilt and we all moved forward.
But tonight as I drove through my neighborhood I realized that though the downed trees have been removed and all the buildings have been repaired, the landscape has been forever altered. The sun sets through trees that are broken and missing limbs. Other trees that helped mark January Wabash Park are completely gone. The horizon looks like a row of jagged teeth that have been broken by someone with brass knuckles. It is heart-wrenching. There is no denying we live in a place that has been altered by tragedy.
Personal tragedy is no different. Often when life takes a turn for the worst we shrink into our shells and try to hide our heads, as if we should be embarrassed about our pain because it has made us ugly. All we can see are the broken limbs and missing pieces of ourselves. We think life should have turned out differently. We think we should be more like our friends, who have “perfect” lives and no inherent defects. Somehow we begin to question our value because all we can see is what we think our lives should be and not what it is.
This world is very often a sad place. Bad things happen to good people. Pain interrupts our lives. Tragedy strikes. Sometimes it is preventable, but often it is not. Sometimes it is all we can do to just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving, even if it is aimlessly toward the freezer for more ice cream.
If pain has altered the landscape of your life, ask for help. Meet with a friend and seek encouragement. Go for a walk. Eat ice cream, if it helps. But don’t give up. You can rebuild. You can forge ahead. While you push forward make sure to focus more on your blessings rather than the suffering you are currently enduring. Perspective can make the difference between despair and hope.
Right now things look pretty bleak in Ferguson. The skyline is not what it once was. The leaves are gone and winter is bearing down on us like a hungry lion. We feel weak and unable to run another step. But winter does not last forever. Before we know it Spring will come and with it buds, flowers and new growth. The greenery will cover what was once broken and life will once again “spring” forth. The same is true with personal pain. If we choose to learn and grow through our suffering, we will come out the other side stronger. More importantly, we will have the hard-won knowledge that comes from surviving, and that is both poignant and priceless.
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