alive underneath

Today I drove around parts of downtown Franklin that were previously completely under water. You can tell exactly where the water was, and in many cases, how deep just by looking at what's left. Everything that was submerged now has a thick film of mud covering every surface: trees, branches, blades of grass, grave stones, buildings, doors, homes, everything. In most cases the water is gone, but the devastation remains.

Something struck me as I was looking at a field... upon first glance, it looked dead; brown everywhere, with no hint of green... but the truth of the matter is that those trees, bushes, blades of grass and the like were STILL ALIVE underneath all the muck. There is still life in them, but in order to see it, they just need a little help. It is supposed to rain again this weekend, I think, maybe early next week, so with the gentle rain, God will wash away the mud from the grass, and trees, and reveal LIFE.

I think He is doing this in our city. People helping people, communities coming together, I am not sure there could be anyone who feels alone in their struggle this week, because people are rising up and standing together. We are pouring life into each other.

I am just praying for the families who lost everything, praying that they will know that they are still alive underneath, and that they will feel the love of a diverse community standing around them.

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