February, 24, 2017

Today marks the year anniversary of that awful day.

Three hundred and sixty-five days since a tornado ravaged my town and almost took the life of one of my greatest friends. Now, as I type this, I'm looking at the gorgeous 70-degree weather outside my window, and I can't help but think about what kind of a day this might be if things had turned out differently. How life might have been different if this story couldn't have been told. What today might look like if a quick thinking painter hadn't been placed in the right place at the right time. If Daniel's life hadn't been spared.

And I'm thankful. Thankful, because God wasn't done with any of us yet.

                        

There are a million things that could have turned out to be so much worse. But it didn't. Because no matter how bleak that day seemed, Daniel's life was spared for a reason. This town was spared for a reason. And God had a plan, more perfect than any of us can even imagine.

The song at the end of this post has been so amazingly real and perfect to me the past few days of reliving last year's tornado. Through the paralyzing thoughts of almost losing one of our closest friends, through the shock and the pain and the devastation of the storm, that steady hand was holding us up. That hand helped us rally together as a community and as a church family. It gave us strength in our weakest moment. And even though the scars of that day still linger, even though there is still pain, that hand is going to continue to hold us up. Because only He knows how to steady us.

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Only you know how to steady me

Ready my heart for everything that's coming my way Help me trust that you're ahead of me Going before my feet with every step I take Only you can calm a storm And only you can restore me when I'm worn You steady me only you can steady me, steady me

To Amy, Daniel, and Sarah;

Your family has been such an amazing, wonderful part of this town and Liberty. Daniel, words can't describe our thankfulness that your story is still being written. Life wouldn't be the same without you! We love you all more than you know, and we are so thankful and blessed to have you as a part of our church family.