Irma came through Orlando in the early hours of Monday morning. I sat in my living room for a time, watching her winds reshape the trees outside and marveled at it all. It was quite a sight to behold and a humbling reminder that storms have a way of adjusting our course. We didn’t receive anything close to the worst of her impact here and still, the damage and debris created in her wake were astounding. It has been a week for survival while seeking to get life back online in the most basic of senses. 

Gratitude has filled my heart as many of us in Central Florida have experienced only minor inconveniences. I’ve been deeply encouraged by those who have served us from near and far—friends and neighbors, linemen and our first responders. But, we’ve all experienced loss nonetheless. Noticing loss and people’s reactions to it this week has been important for me personally. Everyone is processing their experience differently and my compassion has been stirred as I’ve remembered this truth. We’re not a people who are taught to grieve well, after all. We hunker down and then get back to work. This week, much of that work has been sharing resources with friends and neighbors as we all adjust to new, post-storm realities. 

And, while I’ve made several attempts at writing a thoughtful post this week, the truth is that I’m exhausted right now. Instead of forcing myself to capture my many thoughts, I’m choosing to wait and let them simmer a bit. I'll be writing a new series in the coming weeks. We'll talk about the storms of our lives and what it means to weather them well.

For now, I hope you’re safe and feeling cared for today. Whether you’ve experienced Irma or Harvey, are facing wildfires, or dealing with circumstances in your life that feel like one of these storms, you are not alone. You will not always be in survival mode. You can grieve your losses today. And, maybe we all need to take some time to write out what we’ve lost. Engaging in this practice will ensure we do the good work of acknowledging our losses so we can heal. Consider it a good place to start as a way of moving forward...

More soon. xx