What do you say?

I haven't written anything about the tornado.  For one thing, this experience has been different every day and I've spent a lot of time being glad to simply know my name - because I sure haven't known what day of the week it's been.  But, my home paper asked me to write something or give a statement.  Really, how do any of us do that, especially when we're alive and have a home?  I said no at first, but then I came up with what I have below.  I admit the ending is probably stolen from my pastor's sermon this morning.  Here's all I've got right now:

I am alive.  I have a home.  I even have power.  I have job to report to in an undamaged building and I do not live in a curfew area.  I have found every person that I have gone looking for, and I've found them alive.  I state all of these things to say that maybe I’m not the one that should be giving my account of the tornado.  There are those that have lost everything and we need to hear their voice.  At the same time, I can confirm that no Tuscaloosan will ever be the same after April 27th, 2011.  I can say that none of us are really “ok”, twelve days out.  I’ve cried a little less today, but I’ve still cried.  We have all faced new challenges and been impacted in new ways – every single day.  Two weeks time does not erase your friends, coworkers, and nursery children losing their family members, their students, their homes, their churches, their histories, and their cars.  It does not erase what we've seen.  Two weeks time does not mean we no longer need the National Guard to stand at their check points.  It does not mean we have this new and unpredictable world figured out.  Two weeks time does not mean it’s ok for our churches and community members to let up on the love, service, and boundary crushing they have shown – even if we are all exhausted.  It does not mean we do not desperately need prayer to face the day.  Two weeks time means we keep fighting the battle before us and we don’t give up.  We do not shrink back.  We finish the race with love.