I see the sun...

And it is such a beautiful thing. Waking up to light streaming in the windows on any other day would probably make me groan and shove my head under the covers, but today? Today I can't get enough. We finally have clear skies, for at least two days, so they say. We are so saturated with rain and the creeks and rivers are near to bursting, but today it just feels like seeing the sun makes everything okay.

My family and community were fortunate enough to be spared by the violent storms that took control of the mid-South over the past two days. Still, fear took me so strongly - it wasn't really until midnight last night, when the last watch expired, that I felt fear's grip loosen around my heart and I could finally breathe normally. Although I am filled with relief that the storms had spared us, my heart is heavy for those who have lost loved ones this week. Communities have been obliterated, devastation is great. I have heard from all of my friends in Alabama and Georgia, and felt tears of joy that they were spared. I know the impact a tornado can have on a community, and I can still hear the freight train whistle in my mind. I hope that the residents of the affected areas can find peace and the strength to rebuild what was lost.