Diaster Relief Continues. May God continue to protect, provide, bless and strengthen all those who are actively praying, giving, and physically serving in the massive effort of disaster relief in our beautiful mountains of WNC. May He encourage the hearts of those who are weary. May He comfort and restore the hearts and minds of those who have lost loved ones, their homes, or their livelihoods.
In a brutal day, winds pushed and pulled in a violent dance. With rain fall at twice the amount of almost all the other counties in WNC, the rivers grew swiftly and poured their once calm waters up, up, up and over the banks, swarming and devouring not only the grasses, but the bushes and trees. Rocks tumbled about like styrafoam. Our asphalt roads were lifted and torn like cardboard. Houses were pulled off the banks, swept down river, and destroyed. Lives were lost. Husbands, wives, and children were left bereft and bewildered.
This gaping wound, created in what seemed like a moment, will take much time to heal. Yet, the spirit of the mountains, that strength that comes from forging a home, a life, against rock and gravity that is out of the mainstream of the convenience of city life, and the simple faith as nature itself makes one acknowldge the God of all creation, leaves its foundation of hope.
They call it the once in a thousand year storm. Who would ever imagine that a hurricane could retain that much strength as it traveled inland, and just keep on going? But God. Just like the storm pushed forward in distruction, there has been an outpouring of amazing people from all across America who have come to restore, to share in the grief, bring hope and strength to weary hands and hearts, to work and to pray for our communities as we rebuild.
We thank you, we bless you. Stone upon stone, rock upon rock, each one of you is making a difference.
"God bless America, land that we love. Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above."
Pamela Sielaff