In late March 2013, my husband and I became first-time homeowners! We were excited about our new house that we had found and were looking forward to making it into a home for our family. We did a little bit of work to paint some of the rooms before we moved in at the beginning of April. I found a quote in vinyl letters that we put on the wall in our dining room. It says, “What we love most about our home is who we share it with.” This is how we viewed our new place. We were excited because it gave us a great place to be and love as a family.
Just about 6 weeks after moving in, our neighborhood was in the path of the devastating tornado that went through southwest Oklahoma City and Moore on May 20. We were all at work or school during the time, so no one was home, which was very fortunate. But from everything that we could see on the news, it didn’t look promising. We were not even able to get to our house on the day of the tornado because of the chaos, but early the next morning we were able to find a way to see what damage had been done. We were able to pull right up into our driveway to our 2-story house that was standing. While there had been damage that required us to live out of our home for the next 6 months while the repairs were to be made, we were just blocks and even feet away from total destruction. About 2/3 of the houses on our street were completely totaled.
At times of loss and tragedy, sometimes we find what we are truly grateful for. We realize that while living through loss of property and possessions is difficult, there are many more important things – like people. I am so grateful that our situation was not as bad as we know it could have been. It was people, and especially our family of faith – from St. Luke’s, family members, colleagues, friends from other churches and times in our life, and even strangers who helped us through. We are so grateful to God for blessing our lives with so many who care and share God’s love and compassion in times of need.
Now when I see the quote on our dining room wall, I remember that we are able to make this our home because of who we share it with. Most directly that is my amazing kids and husband, but now I pause to remember that it extends even further. We love our home because we have had a shared experience with so many who have made a difference in our lives at a time of crisis and loss. But God has been so good to show me that we gained much more than we lost, and for that I am grateful.
Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry
