"Although most of the homes destroyed in the West fertilizer plant explosion are still shells, hope is budding in the hearts of residents as rebuilding gets underway.
A home on North Ridge Circle, only blocks away from the April 17 blast site, is framed up and should be completed by the end of summer, homeowners Steven and Stephanie Kucera said. It is one of the first residential sites where construction has begun, West Mayor Tommy Muska said, and he sees it as an encouraging start to the rebuilding process that involves many of the town’s residents. The home’s thin frame now stands as a symbol for them.
'They see things moving and they know it’s coming for them, too,' Stephanie Kucera said. The Kuceras’ neighbor, the Rev. John Crowder, lives a few homes down and is thrilled to see the construction on his street.
'There's a sense of hope and excitement,' said Crowder, pastor of West First Baptist Church. 'We've been looking at devastation and rubble for a month and a half, and now we’re beginning to see the signs of a new beginning, the assurance that there will be a tomorrow for our town.'"
When reading thus encouraging story, I couldn't help but think of the ultimate symbol of restoration and hope--the cross of Christ. Whether adorning elaborate stained glass in the grandest cathedral or hanging in silver from a delicate chain, the cross stands as a constant reminder of ultimate and imminent victory and hope that's ours in Christ Jesus. Death and Hell cannot conquer us and difficulty and pain will not defeat us. "We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord." Thank God for giving the residents of West something that inspires hope, and praise God for giving believers a constant reminder through the cross that we will overcome.
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