Something Beautiful

Tonight a group from our young adult fellowship met up at church after work and headed out to Bellevue, one of the areas hit hard by the flood last weekend. We had all seen pictures and footage on the news of the devastation all around the city, but it's something different to drive down a neighborhood street and to see piles and piles of wood and drywall and insulation on either side of the road, houses completely gutted and all kinds of furniture and possessions ruined. The smell of souring wetness was everywhere, and when we stopped and put on our gloves and respirator masks, we knew it was time to get down and dirty.

Tonight I discovered something beautiful. I saw ordinary people who just stepped up and began organizing volunteer efforts to make sure all the houses in their neighborhoods were taken care of in this recovery period. We followed two guys walking down various streets to houses that they knew needed help pulling up floors, removing debris, and all kinds of tasks. And throughout the night, I saw the spirit of Nashville rise up.

I saw neighbors helping each other and strangers driving long distances to serve. I saw piles of water bottles set out on the street for anyone to take. I saw stations full of random items like Gatorade and snacks and first aid supplies that people had pooled and set out for everyone to share. I saw cars that drove up and down the streets offering anyone they saw cold water and hot pizza. It didn't matter that we didn't know each other; there was just an understanding, a connection.

It's fast becoming the story everywhere in Nashville in the aftermath of this disaster. I listened to one of the guys talk about how they woke up on Saturday morning and had water on their floors. Three hours later, the water was up to their chests. He talked about seeing a family wade out of their home and how none of them could swim. He didn't know them at all, but he brought them home to stay with him.

The blog "We Are Nashville" (http://www.section303.com/we-are-nashville-4366) has been circulating Facebook this week, and it wasn't until tonight that I really saw it and understood what the blogger was talking about. I am overwhelmed by the beauty that I have seen tonight, because it's the beauty of the Lord. His heart is all over this city.