Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Katrina Fatigue. That’s a term I’ve heard, and I have to admit that I don’t begrudge it. I’ve been awfully tired of Katrina, too.Today is the second anniversary of that fateful day when she became part of our national vocabulary, and I’m afraid those who are tired of hearing about her will have to endure her name in one way or another again today. Yet with each passing year, I suspect the remembrance will slowly begin to fade until only the ones of us affected specifically will notice the date.
The rebuilding is far from over, of course, but so many of us who were involved in the day-to-day efforts of that cause are no longer in it day-to-day. I cannot say that it is time for us to move on because so many would be left behind, but there does come a time when shouting to the world is no longer option number one. And I feel that that time has come.
So I’m not going to write some grand treatise on Katrina today, trying to guilt folks into coming to help, or cranking out old stories for nostalgia sake.
Instead, I was thinking…
At some point, in the post-Katrina mess, I had somewhat of an epiphany. One day, out of nowhere, I suddenly knew exactly my goal in it all. I felt as if I had endured a potentially fatal blow in all areas of my life, and I understood that I had a singular goal that extended to three specific areas of my life. I even preached this goal my first sermon in the year 2006 as a theme for the whole year.
I wanted to be a survivor. I wanted this for my immediate family. I wanted this for my church family. I wanted this for my Habitat for Humanity affiliate family. When the worst was over, I wanted all three of these areas of my life to still be standing.
And today, looking back, they are…
By the grace of God shining through humanity from all walks of life, we have survived.
And today, August 29, 2007, I am most thankful.
