Sweet Home Alabama

Due to some changes at Spiritbuilding Publishing this blog has been on hiatus since last year. We're changing the format obviously, so tell me if you like the new look. If you hate it.. keep that to yourself.. :-)   I've wanted to share some things since then though, and the recent batch of tornado's that tore up God's country gives me a good excuse.

I was down in North Alabama last week checking on my parents since all communication was knocked out. I spent about a week there cleaning up and it was amazing. 

I could trace where the possibly F5 twister came across Hwy 72 and made a bee line for my parents house about 2 miles to the north. The path was easy to see on the highway from all the telephone poles snapped off, the toothpicks and brush where woodland previously stood, and the slab by the highway where the Bethel church of Christ used to have a building.  When you came up the road to my parents you could see where the pine woods that had stood tall and dark there for years across the road was now gone. And there, in front of my parents fence, fifty yards from the house, the tornado changed directions and went east right up their road.   Although fifty trees went down on their property, my parents never lost a shingle off their house. But that wasn't amazing.

Trees were down on houses, some of them covering them up. Some houses were gone, completely. Cotton pickers, and semi- tractor rigs, were rolled about like Tonka toys. Garages, barns, and sheds were gone. Vehicles were smashed and flattened. One long beautiful lane of Bradford pear trees is now a long lane of stumps with no sign of the trees. A nearby subdivision of half million dollar plus homes looks like those homes just exploded. What destruction. But that wasn't amazing.

On Friday my mom and dad (both 82) and I started cutting and burning on those 50+ downed trees. Before we got finished working, the neighbors college age daughter, Kala, came over and hauled branches for hours, laughing and smiling all the time. That was surprising. The next day she came back with her boyfriend and about four or five other friends and sawed, and hauled, and dragged more branches all afternoon. Color me surprised once more.

What was really amazing was that other strangers saw us working in this devestated area and kept stopping and offering us cold water and drinks, sack lunches, and ice. These good samaritans didn't identify themselves and no one in the group knew them. They were just driving around wanting to help. The day ended with us tired and satisfied, and with a couple of the young helpers approaching my dad and,,, get this... thanking him for the opportunity to be of help. 

Sunday we worshipped and rested and surveyed more of the damaged area, but Monday started the ball rolling again. Dad and I started cutting about 7 am. About 8, my brother Mark and his wife Lisa showed up with breakfast. Mark had been on 12-14 hours permanent shfts since he is a Lt. on the Huntsville police force. This was his first opportunity to come help. About 9, Jeff and Martha Archer, the preacher and his wife from the Jordan Park church of Christ showed up with their son. And the help kept coming in all day long. Members of the Jordan Park congregation just kept showing up. Kala sent her young crew of helpers back in for another shift. Some strangers just walked in off the road and stayed the rest of the day hauling branches. In the afternoon the coach and track team from Columbia high school walked onto the field and started grabbing branches. Six saws were working at one time, the burn pile got gi-normous, and about forty people finished up that job last Monday afternoon in record time with smiles and laughter. I was truly amazed.

The radio stations all turned into public service announcers and I was shocked by how many people called in with the same message. "Power is now on in our area at such and such a place. If anyone needs a hot shower, hot meal, phone or internet access, here's my address, come to my house." The only songs playing and being requested over and over were songs about Alabama, Sweet Home Alabama being the favorite. I have to agree wholeheartedly with the comment of one radio caller. In the midst of destruction and devestation I have never been prouder to say that I'm from Alabama.