Lake Neuron

Even though I live in Bedford County, the tornadoes that ripped through downtown Nashville 10 years ago today had an effect upon me.

I was sitting in the Wartrace United Methodist Church parsonage that evening. The Rev. Diana Hough was my pastor at the time, and was my sponsor for the Walk to Emmaus. I was one of three men from Wartrace UMC who were supposed to attend the Walk that weekend. As we sat in Diana’s living room, getting ready to leave for Hermitage UMC in Nashville, we looked at the weather reports with increasing alarm.

“We’re not going to Nashville tonight,” Diana finally said. Sure enough, the tornadoes that ripped through downtown also passed through Hermitage, damaging the roof of Hermitage UMC and causing the men’s Emmaus Walk to be postponed by a month. Instead of being held two weeks prior to the women’s walk, it was held two weeks after.

I was able to make the rescheduled date; the two other men who’d been scheduled to join me could not. When we posed for our group photo at the end of the weekend, the banner we held still had the original dates of the walk.

Emmaus was a terrific experience for me, although I’m afraid I haven’t done my part about staying involved. We had a reunion group for a little while at Shelbyville First UMC, where I now attend, but the associate pastor who led it left and the group fell apart without him. I was attending the montly gatherings of the Highland Rim Emmaus Community for a while, but my Saturday work and other conflicts have gotten me out of that habit. I need to get back into Emmaus.