Tradegy can have a positive impact

There are a few stories that maybe a one-time print moment in the history of the day, but the storms of March 2012 will be as memorable as the Floods of 1977 for me. Remembering where you were and what you were doing at certain moments in our lives just seem to stick with you. I remember in high school where I was on March 21, 1981 when then President Ronald Reagan had been shot. I remember telling Coach Zek Smith that he had been shot and coach said “Tim, you don’t joke about those types of things”. Of course I wasn’t, and that moment is etched in my minds history.
The winds of Friday, 2, March 2012 blew through with a fiery that has left families changed forever. The impact of a single event can sometimes change the entire course of an individual’s life. It changes the course of a business owner who has lost everything or experienced a major set-back and loss. Churches are impacted and can experience a new focus and direction of resources and energies when tragedy happens and response is a must. We often like to think about impact moments such as milestone birthday parties and anniversaries. We want to remember changes and advancement in your chosen career field or a promotion from your employer. Announcements that celebrate the birth of a child or the graduation of our child from high school or college we want to celebrate and remember. Yes, these happy moment we want to hold on to, but there is also value in remember the difficult moments and struggles of life too. The loss of a loved one from a tragic storm is an experience we all want to avoid. Honestly, most individuals want to avoid loss of life for any reason at all cost, but it happens. One of the strengths that is discovered during such a moment at death is the way in which we have lived prior to that event. Growing up I have heard the expression, “live it like you mean it” often. It was a reminder to me and a reflection to live my life in such a way as to be true and honest with myself and others as I traveled in my journey called life. I lost my best friend in high school shortly after graduation. Still today, I think of Mark Douglas Sharpe often. I had left for a mission trip and he had stayed home when he drown on a sunny day on a lake. The news of that moment didn’t bring sunshine for sure yet it was an experience that did change me forever. The moment was negative but the impact and change was positive. I learned what I called the enhanced value of friendship. Each time I look at that picture of us on graduation day I remember life is short, relationships should be meaningful, and maybe the most important lesson of all, the value of time.
The impact of the tornados that touched down did created change that we had no control over. The winds and hail of the moment destroyed property totally for some and just damaged the goods of others. There will be many varied experiences from those directly impacted and those that are impacted from the aftermath of the event. Helping to clean up and assisting with the next stage in life for those volunteering can have both a changing impact for those giving and those receiving a hand along the journey.
There is much to be done and there is many who need help. If we each decided to give and do as we can with respect to our resources, the single action of one becomes a pool of resources that makes a positive impact forever.

Until then.