The Bright Side

In June, I went to Greensburg, Kansas, to counsel with some of the victims of the F5 tornado that destroyed 90% of that small community of about 1,500 people. In most cases, all that people had left were the clothes on their back, what they had in their pockets and purses and what they could salvage out of the rubble.

Many of the people that I worked with had smiles on their faces and were quite grateful that their lives were spared and the loss of life in the community were small in number. Still, there was an inner sadness among many of them that would come out quickly as they began to tell about their experience during the tornado and soon afterward.

Part of my task in counseling is to help them reframe the experience into something positive which prompts some strange looks from those who have just lost most of their earthly possessions. When I asked one man the question, "What good do you see coming out of this experience"? He gave me a strange look and after pausing for about a minute said, "My honey-do list just decreased to zero".

God bless these folks as they rebuild their lives and town.