Simplicity always survives

As middle Tennessee continues cleaning up from this 500 year flood that has created over an estimated billion dollars worth of damage, I came across a statement that has given me a lot to think on in light of recent events.

A "monk"of sorts, reminded me of the following paragraph from The Way of the Heart by Henry Nouwen.

“Three Fathers used to go and visit blessed Anthony every year and two of them used to discuss their thoughts about the salvation of their souls with him, but the third always remained silent and did not ask him anything. After a long time, Abba Anthony said to him: ‘You often come here to see me, but you never ask me anything,’ and the other replied, ‘It is enough to see you, Father.’"

 Nashville has taken pride in the way we have reached out to our neighbors in this disaster, with so little national media coverage in the first several days. "We are Nashville" has become our motto. We've assembled workforces, donations, and hours of prayer on behalf of those who have lost so much. As the buckle of the Bible Belt, we have all tried to live up to the reputation that people around the world would expect to see (minus the Bible beating and proselytizing).

The flood has given people in this area to practice a genuine faith and belief in their own backyards; that is, to show the love of Christ unconditionally.

Still, another thought creeps into my mind from the passage above. I can't help but to ask myself if I am more concerned about people losing their "stuff", rather than being concerned about their well-being. I know it sounds awful, but I'm afraid that it's easy to equate one's well-being with "stuff" they own. Do we risk deceiving ourselves by saying "the more stuff we have the better off we are?" 

When we rally to help people rebuild their lives, do we risk helping people rebuild their lives and confidence in the stuff that causes them so much pain then to lose? How do we help people, including ourselves in the rebuilding of our cities, to say "It is enough to see you, Father?"

I sincerely pray that lives are restored completely to the way they were before the flood, but this event and these thoughts have made me realize that simplicity is good when you can truly let go of everything else. That's my prayer for those who are rebuilding.

As my mom always said "just find the good in it." I hope the good is found in the recovery.

Wayne Reed Christian Childcare: 2010

Would you be willing to donate $5 or more to help the Wayne Reed Christian Childcare Center in Nashville? If so, please donate here.

Why Donate?
Just like last year, I am participating in fundraiser that will help this incredible Center in one of the poorest parts of Nashville. It's even more important this year as the families who use this center have been impacted by one of the worst floods in Nashville's history.

What Impact Does the Center Have?
The Center exists to provide childcare for low income families from the inner city, and has created a positive impact on the children and community.

For thirty years, the High/Scope Perry Preschool Project tracked low-income children that attended high-quality preschool. Researchers discovered that over the years these children exhibited the following:

• Increased high school graduation rates;
• Less need for public assistance as adults;
• Fewer births out of wedlock;
• Higher earnings potential ;
• Higher rates of home ownership;
• Fewer arrests.

Is your donation Tax Deductible?
The Wayne Reed Center is a 501c3 non-profit, and depends on donations from individuals, businesses, churches, and blog readers like yourself.

Only $5...That's All I Ask
At this point, every dollar you donate will go directly to the Center and it only takes a minute for you to donate online through PayPal.  Once you donate, you will get a letter from the center recognizing your donation.

Please - Make a donation now.

Nashville's Flood of 2010

If you want to read more about the flooding in Middle Tennessee, there are a lot of places you can go online. For instance, The Tennessean has images here.

I just wanted to take a moment and jot down some notes to remember this event and it's significance.

• I have never seen this much rain in TN.
• Our neighborhood (Franklin Green) had no problems with flooding although downtown Franklin was awful.
• All traffic coming from I-40 West of Nashville was re-routed through Franklin, making traffic a bear. How I wish 840 was completed.
• Our house is under contract, and thankfully it did swimmingly well.
• My heart and prayers go out to all who have lost so much.
• The Cumberland has exceeded 50 feet and flooded downtown Nashville.

This morning is surreal.