Nashville Flood--City of Dreams

I love this video...it was written by Victoria Banks who had this to say about it, "I wrote this song on the road home to Nashville during the historic flooding that happened a few days ago. Lives were lost, many have lost everything and are living in shelters. Please donate what you can to the Nashville Red Cross at (615) 250-4300 or ww.nashvilleredcross.org."

The people of Nashville continue to pick up the pieces. With so much going on in the world, many friends we talk to are surprised to find out the depth of need we are experiencing here. Many, MANY people have lost everything. Stories are emerging of friends and co-workers of ours who had to swim to safety...or one family who had to walk arm in arm through chest high water leaving their home and all their belongings behind just to survive. The linked arms saved them from being swept away...other friends who lost all their earthly belongings, or loved ones...impossible to adequately describe. As flood waters go down, bodies are being discovered. Families are finding closure with sons, fathers, friends who were missing. One friend described his experience of gutting a home this week by telling me that as they tore the drywall out, snakes and huge spiders spilled out in the water remaining in the walls. I'm telling you, it's like something from a movie.

Please continue to pray for our city. The domino effect is even hard to describe. Millions and millions of dollars in lost revenue through tourism and the closing of Opryland Hotel, the Schermerhorn, The Wildhorse, Opry Mills...etc. It's impacting all of us.

But we are the fortunate ones. Some have lost everything. One woman interviewed this week was a Katrina refugee. She moved here after Katrina to start all over. She, again, lost everything. As she described, "It's hard to believe someone could experience two catastrophic disasters like this in their lifetime." It's true.

The beauty right now is in the people...the churches...the artists who live here who are all banding together. One people. One need. God is being glorified through this in ways that are immeasurable. People are taking a break from naval gazing to look to someone else's needs. It's recreating this city in a way. I pray that peace will flow and love overwhelm all those who are hurting and feeling such loss. Keep them all in your prayers!