For the Heart of Texas
It’s been
so very heavy,
hasn’t it?
The photos.
The stories.
The devastation.
The. young. faces.
All of us
mourning together
for the heart of Texas.
Tears of strangers
all intermingled
in one long
river of grief.
And while so many
are there in
the midst –
feet on the ground,
arms wrapping around,
doing whatever
they can do,
many of us
are left sitting
miles and miles away.
And yet,
even and especially here
we, too,
can reach out
to those hurting most
by reaching up
to the One who comforts best.
Never underestimate
the power of a prayer
spoken in Jesus name –
by you
or for you.
And while the river
that ran through Texas –
uprooting,
destroying,
and taking so much
has run its course –
the time
for all of us
to cry out to
the God of Heaven –
the God of all comfort
to wash over
the mourning
with the same magnitude,
with the same power,
with the same force,
with the same unexpectedness
is just beginning.
The healing
will be slow.
The rebuilding
will take time.
The restoring
will be ongoing.
But the empty places
around tables,
in backseats,
on trampolines,
in desks,
on teams,
in Sunday School rooms,
in backyards,
in offices,
in neighborhoods,
in family photos,
will always remain.
So – our prayers
must remain as well.
The horrific hurts
and deepest heartaches
caused by this river
overflowing its banks
will never be healed
until hearts are reunited
once and for all
standing hand in hand
on the banks
of the river
that flows from God’s throne.
So until then –
we will show up,
we will lend
our hands and our hearts.
But for always –
we will lift up
our prayers.
And God –
He will hear
and He will do
what only He can do.
He will draw near.
He will hold.
He will comfort.
He will sustain.
He will uphold.
He will gently lead
each heartbroken heart
day by day –
as you and I pray
for the heart of Texas.~
~Stacy
