We spend some time on a Saturday sorting donated clothes at a local food panty for people who’d lost everything in Hurricane Harvey. Of course, it wasn’t the first choice of how some in my family would have liked to spend their Saturday, but it was the right thing to do in that moment.
It turned out to be incredibly fulfilling for all.
I’m so thankful, that at least for today, the level of intensity from impending natural disasters has decreased. For this moment, we are out of the triage zone and entering into the long-haul of the repair and restoration phase.
This is where it gets hard.
It gets hard because the media has moved on. They’re no longer grasping to stand in sideways rain with water up to their knees. There are no more live stories of heroic boat rescues in neighborhoods that used to have streets instead of lakes. There are no longer pleads for volunteers everywhere you look.
The spotlight fades so quickly, but the need remains.
Complete restoration and healing will take a very long time. Stay involved. Keep paying attention. Keep showing up. Keep looking for ways to help. When it’s not obvious, get creative. The need for ongoing support will remain for years to come.
Here’s the deal.
It’s the same situation in the life of your friend, you know the one. The one who went through the traumatic loss, the unexpected financial strain, the unimaginable personal struggle. The intensity of the moment may be gone. The spotlight may have faded, but when it’s gone, things can seem really dark for the ones left holding all the broken pieces.
Restoration is a long road. Go the distance.
Keep showing up, looking for ways to help and encourage. Get creative. It may look like everything is fine on the outside, but she still needs you.
Maybe now, more than ever.
Let the silence of the once-frenzied media remind you of the silence people often feel after the big storms of life have passed.
Silence can be deafening.
Make some noise by showing up for someone you love today.
to more love,
Crystal
