I stand on the bare concrete, looking into the church’s library. Books still line the wooden shelves, standing like knights at the castle gate. It appears most of them were spared the worst of the storm. Ceiling pieces are collapsed onto the big table centered in the room. The surrounding chairs are now piled in disarray, making easy access to the room impossible. In front of the shelf, on the far side, there is a single white Bible, carelessly relocated from its rightful place on the shelf. A cluster of leaves rests across its bonded leather cover.
Above, where a fluorescent light fixture used to hang, is nothing. No popcorn ceiling, no rafters, and no shingles. Small, cottony clouds float in a perfect blue sky. The temperature is rising. As I observe the weather, I wish I had thought to bring my weather journal. Last night a huge tornado was howling through here, and this morning there is almost a sense of peace.
The preacher comes and puts a hand on my right shoulder. “What a mess,” he says.
“It’s not that bad,” I respond.
“What do you mean?”
"I mean, books are usually about stories, right?”
“Yeah.”
I cock my head to the side and look at him. Smiling, I say, “Well, here’s a whole library of books. Isn’t it telling you an amazing story now?”
You can read more of Hailey's account in Out of the Wind.
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AuthorD. Ed. Hoggatt is an award-winning fourth grade teacher. Click Titles to Order Now
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July 2017
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