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...In 1994 a Palm Sunday tornado ravaged a Lindale neighborhood. Survivors and clergy share a message of faith and healing at this time of resurrection with those who have just endured their own tragic storm.
For people in the Conns Lake neighborhood, it’s been 14 years. For people along Old Wax Road, it’s been a week.
Yet both communities will forever share a bond, one of tragedy and recovery, as they celebrate Easter today.
Those who endured the tornado in Lindale on Palm Sunday 1994 probably felt an instant connection to those in the Wax community last weekend, when a powerful storm ripped through Northwest Georgia. The storm spawned a tornado that carved a seven-mile path along Floyd, Bartow and Polk counties, destroying many homes and killing two people.
Families and friends are mourning the losses of Jerry Albers and Bonnie Turner this week, and now the long, difficult healing process begins.
There are so many things to be done — cleani
Residents who lived through the March 27, 1994, tornado that destroyed houses in the Conns Lake neighborhood extend messages of faith and hope to recent tornado victims. (Contributed photo) |
ng up debris, meeting with insurance agents, dealing with bills, finding shelter, food and clothes — but those are physical challenges.
The emotional struggles may be the more difficult issues the survivors face as they rebuild their lives. But they are the same struggles that many in the Conns Lake community have dealt with for 14 years, and residents there say today’s Easter services may be a good place to start the healing.
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Messages of healing
The Rev. Paul Gamber said the messages that are so fundamental to Christians on Easter, the promise of hope and renewed life, are what those affected by last week’s storm will lean on during their difficult times.
“I think for some, it could be a test of faith — they may be asking the question ‘Why did this happen? How can we rejoice when so many people suffered the loss of lives and homes?’” said Gamber, who pastors Second Avenue United Methodist Church, where Albers was a member and where funeral services for him were held Friday.
“But at the same time, Easter is not just about singing hymns and having a good time. The message is about the transcendent hope that overwhelms the power of death. Talking about the power of the resurrection of Christ, how it brings the renewal of life, that’s fundamental to our faith.”
The Rev. Don Spears, pastor of Flint Hill Baptist Church on Wax Road, has seen his church serve as a command post for emergency and cleanup efforts. He says churches across Northwest Georgia will be symbolic staging areas this week as families begin healing from the wounds the tornado inflicted.
“When you look at the Scriptures, out of the destruction of Good Friday came the resurrection and new life of Easter,” Spears said. “And God gave grace to the ones left to help them through.
“Last Saturday was a dark day for our community, but in Christ we have hope. It’s been difficult, and it’s a time where we all have to lean on the strength of the Lord.”
Looking back
That’s something many Lindale families learned on March 27, 1994, when a line of storms produced strong tornadoes in Alabama and Georgia. Many houses in the Conns Lake neighborhood were demolished, and several people were injured — including Celena Williams, who was partially paralyzed after a tree fell on her as she and others took cover from the storms.
“People are resilient, and they can overcome anything, but dealing with the loss of a loved one is probably the hardest thing you can do,” Williams said. “It’s hard for me to relate to — I can’t imagine what some of those families are going through.
“People always need hope, and there’s probably nothing better than going to church and hearing a sermon and talking to your pastor or priest,” she added. “You never forget those things you’ve gone through, but time really does heal all things. I think (those experiences) make you a much stronger person.”
Joanne Shiflett also endured the Conns Lake storms. She and her family took shelter in a neighbor’s home, and returned after the tornado had passed to find their house reduced to rubble.
It’s an image she says you never forget, and she says the healing is a gradual process.
“It was a really difficult time for so many people, and sitting in church last Sunday, it really brought a lot of memories back,” Shiflett said. “I really identify with those people (in Wax). Seeing them going through their things, looking for whatever can be salvaged, it brought back a lot. I remember just sitting there at our house, what was left of it. … It was our home, but we could no longer stay there.
“I think just keeping your faith is the main thing,” she added, about the slow recovery process. “It does get better. I think it’s just important to have faith in God, and know he will meet all your needs.”
James Cox remembers relying on his faith when, as a firefighter, he rode out to Conns Lake in response to the storms 14 years ago. He had a vested interest as his engine raced to the scene — it was where he and his family lived.
“It was so nerve-racking, and when we got there it was amazing how the tornado could miss one thing and then hit something else right next door,” Cox said. “The first thing I thought about (last week) was the irony that this also happened on Palm Sunday weekend.
“But you just have to believe that the Lord is in control and that everything happens for a reason,” he added. “You have to hold on to your faith and know that eventually, things will get better. Knowing that Jesus is with us, and the power in his name, helped bring us through all that in our neighborhood.”
Keeping the faith
Not only does faith help those who are enduring loss and trying to rebuild their lives, but it is demonstrated in those who give aid and comfort to those affected by the tragedy.
“I think the way people respond with prayers, financial support and rallying around those who are affected really lives out the message of the resurrection, helping people recover their lives and giving them hope,” Gamber said. “It goes beyond symbolism. It’s a real way to show the faith that people talk about, a way to express it in a concrete way.”
While many in the Floyd County community have reached out to help those along Old Wax Road, some people may be hesitant to offer themselves. They may not know what to say or what to do, or the best way they can help.
But clergy members say just offering to be there and making themselves available is the best thing to do, letting victims know they have a support network.
“I think the Easter story itself is our hope, knowing that with Christ rising, we have hope for eternal life,” said the Rev. Jack Karch of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where Turner was once a member.
“When such destruction happens, it’s hard to go through, but a good message to give people is that there is hope. Material things can be replaced, and when we die, we can have the hope of heaven through Christ.”
Lending a hand
Those messages may not be easy for ministers to give, and it may be hard to offer help to those affected by the tornadoes, but those who have endured tragedies say it does make a difference.
“One thing I remember is how people came up to help, even if you weren’t that close to them, and they offered everything they could,” said Glenda Bright, a Conns Lake resident who lived through the 1994 storms. “They were willing to help financially, with furniture or clothes, with giving you a place to stay. It’s amazing how everyone came together.”
“I think just being there is the most important thing you can do,” Spears said of those wanting to help but wondering what to do. “Sometimes just listening and being there for someone is better than talking or quoting Scripture. People can identify with a hug — they can tell it’s genuine.”
And genuine help and compassion is something victims will always remember, and perhaps through time those memories will replace the dark ones.
“I still remember the exact people who came to help when it happened to my family,” Cox said. “People would hand me money for food, and they would insist ‘I want you to have it.’ You just see a lot of compassion when times get hard.”
“It’s sort of like the story of the Good Samaritan,” Spears said. “When someone is hurting, it may interrupt the plans in our life, but we need to stop and minister to them.
“That’s what faith is, it’s action,” he added. “In the Bible, James says faith without works isn’t anything. I think there’s been such an outpouring of support, a lot of faith has been demonstrated this week in our community.”
