Changed and transformed

/ Fran Haley

This week, my friends from across the country have reached out to see if my family and I are okay in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

We are. Here in central North Carolina we did not suffer damage like the western part of the state, where many people are dead and many more are still missing. East of us, a tornado flattened buildings in a city where my youngest son once served as a church worship leader.

Speaking of my son: He was in the North Carolina mountains when the storm struck. He and his bride spent the last day of their honeymoon without power, food, and water, trapped by downed trees on the only path to the main road. After someone eventually arrived with a chainsaw, my new daughter-in-law navigated their journey out by using her phone to pull up road closings.

They were fortunate to even have cell service. Thoughout the region, service failed just when it was needed most. It has yet to be restored in many places, meaning that families and friends still cannot communicate with loved ones.

Travel remains precarious. 300 roads are still closed, many of which are shattered with portions and bridges washed away. Mudslides added to the havoc of catastrophic flooding. The picturesque little village of Chimney Rock has been wiped out; “there’s nothing there,” says one eyewitness, except muddy brown water and debris choking swollen Lake Lure. A clogged sea of splintered wood and trash. A friend of mine was in Boone like my son during the deluge and saw a house carried off by the river; it floated away before her eyes. Asheville, a favorite destination and home to the famous Biltmore, is devastated. My husband and I watched the news unfolding and saw this beautiful city submerged. It looks wartorn. We no longer recognize the familiar streets where we love to walk. Recovery will extend well into next year, meaning that the major tourist season and local income is also destroyed.

We North Carolinians know that bodies are still being recovered (some from trees) and that the extent of the damage is not fully depicted in the news.

Words that keep recurring in the reports are transformed and changed. The mountain communities have been “utterly transformed and cut off from the outside world.” An artist with the River Arts District of Asheville, a hub of warehouses converted to thriving studios, galleries, music venues, and businesses, spoke to its ruination: “This changes everything.”

Loss does change everything. Life is forever categorized into before and after. Overcoming is a long, arduous journey, moment by moment, like breathing. Even though restoration may eventually diminish the pain of loss, soul-scars remain with us as long as we live. We are changed.

For those of you who pray, please do so for the victims of Helene. For those of you with means, please offer any help you can to organizations taking donations for those who have lost all. My school, my church, my community are doing so.

I think of the process of refining gold. I will not apply it to suffering and loss but to the effort of alleviating them. In this act, I believe, we are most transformed… in responding to the alchemy of the Spirit working in us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

It changes everything.

with thanks to all of you reached out to check on my family this week
and to my fellow Spiritual Journey writers

Discover more from lit bits and pieces

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

14 thoughts on “Changed and transformed”

  1. Thanks for writing with such realism and passion. I sent a small donation to BeLoved Asheville. I have been where they are. My family home was destroyed by a flood when I was a senior in high school and I have felt the before and after. It was long ago now, but I was forever changed. I look at that time as when I learned that bad things can happen to good people. I’m happy you were spared and continue my prayers for North Carolina.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. Fran, you masterfully take the jagged edges of life and allow us to feel the sharp edges, peel back the curtain and show us the house being whisked away, and then you lead us to a place of understanding that this is only a small part of the bigger picture of eternity on the ever-changing journey of transformation. On earth, this is devastating. Thank God for Heaven.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Our church congregation was able to take in a truck filled with water on Wed. We’ll be providing volunteers the weekend of Oct. 12-13. I’m so sad when I hear the stories of such tremendous loss. And yes, lives, forever changed.

    Thanks for the reminder to do what we can and continue prayers for all, the survivors and the workers.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Oh, my goodness. Fran, I’m so sorry. I have been hearing the news but not truly understanding the impact on individuals like you have described here. Of course, I will pray. How terrible for these people who never had reason to expect this kind of tragedy to be hit so hard. I’m so glad your family is safe. Thank you for taking this situation to this month’s theme.

    Like

    Reply

  5. Fran, my heart aches for all those who are facing such devastating loss. My husband and I were enroute to Asheville for a years in the planning bike tour. It was obviously cancelled— a minor change in comparison to the transformation that so many in these devastated communities must bear. Prayers and hope that help is timely 🙏

    Like

    Reply

  6. Fran, the devastation Helene has brought to people an their communities is heart breaking. You point out what many of the news stories just touch upon. Lives are uprooted. Places that once stood are gone overnight. The one thing that stands out to me in all of the newscasts I have seen is the faith and strength of the people affected by this devastating event.

    Like

    Reply

  7. My heart goes out to those who have experienced such loss. i can’t imagine how the area has been changed and transformed. I do love the spirit of people reaching out and leaning in to help others in need.

    Like

    Reply

  8. Fran, I felt the sorrow of North Carolina folks as I read through your realistic coverage of the devastation. The catastrophe has left a void in the landscape, family lives, and still there is more that will be found. Thank you for opening my eyes to the painful truth. When Superstorm Sandy hit Long Island it was frightening what we saw but this hurricane is much more deadly. We pray for the people who have lost their homes, livelihood, and family members. You son and daughter-in-law had a harrowing experience, especially on the last day of their honeymoon. It is a blessing that they received help to get out of the situation and navigate their way home with the Lord as their guide. May you, your family, and church community find peace in the rubble of Hurricane Helene. As always your SJT takes a theme and customizes it to bring a message of faith.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Thank you for clarifying and verifying the news. The tragic news. The before and the after. My heart goes out to you and everyone touched by this enormous devastation. My prayers come day and night. My church is working to alleviate some of the pain. God speed.

    Like

    Reply

  10. Thank you for clarifying and verifying the news. The tragic news. The before and the after. My heart goes out to you and everyone touched by this enormous devastation. My prayers come day and night. My church is working to alleviate some of the pain. God speed.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment