Sunday Sentiments

 

I've been telling you about our time off and still have much to tell you about this wonderful gift of respite we are experiencing. I still have more stories from the ranch to share, but currently we are spending some time with my sister in Kansas. 

As we drove across the final stretch of miles to their little town, Danny Gokey's song Tell Your Heart to Beat Again came on the radio. I hummed along and thought of the times in my own life when I wasn't sure my heart would beat again after deep, dark hurt.

And as I've been here in this town the last couple of days, I feel like it's the theme song of this place. Yesterday Ryan and I visited the gift shop (so we could get a patch for Abby's wall) and saw the larger-than-life mural of the town just days after the tornado back in 2007. Splinters of buildings scattered across yards. Trees stripped bare. 

I remember those days. I remember visiting here probably not long after that photo was taken. I remember seeing that devastation firsthand and wondering how a place could ever recover from complete loss.

And yet they have. Ryan and I have taken walks in the evenings, and we've commented on the beauty of this town. While we still see the occasional stripped tree branch peeking out from leaves around it, all the foliage is full and beautiful. Houses fill most of the lots and they are surrounded by landscaping and signs of life. Businesses are back thriving.

This town's heart beats again, certainly. 

I wrote in my prayer journal that it's a faith booster for me. I may only get to visit this town every 2-3 years, but every time I do, it feels a bit like coming home. I'm always inspired by the tenacity of a town that told its heart to beat again. This is home for them, and they make a place for those who pass through to feel like it could be their home too. 

I'm so grateful for this town. Not just because it's the place where I can come to see my sister, but because it's a place that has impacted my own faith so much. Every time I come here, God either teaches me something brand new, or He reminds me of a truth lost sight of, and this time is no different.

It's a choice, you know. Choosing to push forward when adversity arrives. I'm so thankful this town has been a magnificent example to me on how to do just that.