b'I remember the night I accepted that recoverymyself grateful that it has not left the hand of from this catastrophe could only result in movingGod. And when the new day finally dawns, forward, not circling back to the way things were.maybe, just maybe, we will be a rescue mission It was not long after October that there began ahistory remembers too. deep craving for normalcy among everyone I knew, including myself. I asked for it. I dreamt ofThe first flood it. But as I sat in my car that warm night, I realizedW hen I think of how we stayed safe, that if the storm had never happened, the peopleI think of the people we baptized. we would become after would never be. The goodWhen the storm hit in its full force, days that had yet to dawn would never exist, andthe sky had already been holding clouds for the the hope of a new future we had all been prayingpast three days. During this time, the ground had for would have returned void. I discussed this real- been softened with a light but steady rain, prim-ization with an old friend, and he replied, Youreing the earth for Helene like a wick for dynamite. right. Normal as it was will never return, but nowThis was a key component to the magnitude of you get to create what your new normal will be.the destruction that laid waste to the region. So, what are you gonna make it?We were used to heavy rain and at worst, the As I watch the way our world turns now, thereoccasional landslide. There had not been a flood are not many markings of routine, and schedulesin this area since 1916, and prior to Helene, a still lack a set pace, but what I am watching is amountain hurricane did not exist.group of people discovering normal. Our storyWith rain coming down steadily, my fellow staff is not an easy one, nor is it finished, but I findand I monitored news reports about the French Photos courtesy of Western Carolina Rescue Ministries 18 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025'