I close my eyes for a moment and I am back there. To the most beautiful place and time, that can only be described as paradise. My husband and I had made reservations at a highly recommended restaurant and to our surprise at checking in with the hostess, we were ushered up the stairs to the top deck. The timing could not have been better as the sun was setting over the ocean. The tiki torches lining the outside dining were lit, giving the whole experience even more beauty. We were ushered to a corner table with a perfect view of the ocean and golden hour. The waitstaff found out we were celebrating our wedding anniversary and soon returned with two glasses of champagne and a signed anniversary card from the staff and most importantly, the restaurant’s owner, Mick Fleetwood. It was the perfect experience in a perfect paradise; Lahaina, Maui.
That beautiful moment was only ten months ago now. But now it seems like a lifetime. The images of the destruction are unbearable to watch. The wildfire laid waste to everything in that beautiful town, including the restaurant, Fleetwoods, the place of our most perfect anniversary memory. It is just all gone. It feels like a part of our own history is gone. I pray for all those who have been touched by this wildfire. There are no words that can describe what happened in Lahaina. It is simply surreal.
Although I haven’t lost anyone in the fire, I grieve with those that grieve. I have had my own share of firestorms this past year that just leave me overwhelmed. Firestorms in life are like that. They come out of nowhere and do their damage in minutes. Life changes. Grief comes over what has been lost. We hurt. We get angry. We cry. We ask God why and we seek answers or solutions.
We know we can rebuild and we can heal. But just like the streets of Lahaina, there will be scars where the burning embers embedded themselves.These are the physical scars. I know about these physical scars as I was once scarred in a burn accident. I was only a child, barely walking when I was burned, but now in my fifties the scars are still there, embedded in my skin. Someday, I will be healed and the scars will be gone, my skin will be perfect again, but until then, I live with scars from something I don’t remember. I don’t like my scars, but they have helped me to have empathy for others who have been through firestorms.
The scars on the heart might be around for awhile after a tragedy, but they will be healed someday. Life will not be the same, but it will go on for the people of Maui. There will be scars and the grieving will last for as long as it needs to for each person affected. The fire cannot be undone. But hope and healing can happen. Paradise has not been lost forever. It will return. The scars will be there too, but they teach us to be kinder, more compassionate, more understanding, more hopeful, more appreciative, and to not take anything for granted, especially those we love. God has not abandoned Maui. He loves us all with His everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). We can hope in that. – God Bless- Nancy
Moving Forward 