Blessed are you, who pick up the pieces:
who gather sticks and saw down limbs,
who drag away the broken branches and
rake up what you can amid chaos
only to turn and see that somehow destruction still remains.
Blessed are you, the carriers:
those who carry water bottles in parking lots,
who carry boxes of donations into the gym.
those who carry small children around the house with no power,
those who carry their own needs, and the needs of others.
Blessed are you, who repair what has been broken:
the fallen power lines,
the toppled fences,
the dwindling morale,
the wounded spirits.
Blessed are you, those who hope:
the change-makers,
the bridge-builders,
the road clearers,
the hand-holders.
Blessed are you, those who feel:
exhausted,
overwhelmed,
afraid,
grateful.
Blessed are we, this beloved community.
May we find peace in the aftermath,
rest, even amid ongoing needs.
May we tap out, allowing others to tap in,
so that we might sustain this place as one that nurtures:
Those who pick up the pieces,
those who carry,
those who repair,
those who feel,
and those who hope.
