This post is dedicated to everyone hurt by Katrina in any way, and also to all those who helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Whether you simply donated school supplies or volunteered to save lives, you played a role in helping the Gulf area overcome one the largest natural disasters we have ever seen, and we thank you.

Dear Katrina,

OnAugust 29, 2005, you became one of the deadliest, and most expensive natural disasters ever recorded in the United States. You took the lives of1,836 people, caused 150 billion dollars in damages, destroyed homes, and caused families to not have a place to live in for months, sometimes even years. You grew in the Gulf of Mexico to be a Category Five Hurricane, one of the largest recorded hurricanes in US history. You even broke the levees surrounding New Orleans, flooding 80 percent of the city of jazz, gumbo, and Mardi Gras.

Suddenly, a hurricane became more than a popular drink on Bourbon Street. It was a nightmare. It was reality.The world turned on their televisions to see the disaster you left in the gulf coast of the US.

I was in fourth grade, unaware what was going on. I have vivid memories my family evacuating, praying we wouldn’t run out of gas, bumper to bumper traffic, and then going to my grandmother’s house, where I would stay for months, not knowing if my home was intact. I once turned my grandma’s television on to the news and began watching the city I grew up in flooded and destroyed, fearing my house was among the many.

I remember my first day of school at the place I evacuated to and someone asked me if my house was one of those on the news that was gone. I remember going to the store to buy new clothes while evacuated, and when the worker asked my mother for the zip code we were kindly offered a discount and prayers. I remember the anxieties, the pain, the fear, the loneliness, and the questions I asked God.And I was a lucky one.

Everyone in America was affected by you, Katrina.You caused the world to stop. When America saw the damages you caused, tears were shed. Emotions were felt. The hearts of millions ached for those in need. See, Katrina, ten years ago, you taught the world a message more powerful than your winds and storm surge. You taught us how strong we are as a community. New Orleans was strong, Slidell was strong, Biloxi was strong, St. Bernard was strong, Louisiana and Mississippi were strong; but more importantly, the United States was a strong community.

Thank you, Katrina.Ten years later, we have learned that calling a place a “home” is about more than having a constructed house. It is about the spirit. The country learned what empathy felt like in a tangible way.

Katrina, you were mean. You abused the gulf coast. Youbulliedus with your flooding waters and strong winds, and stole our houses, schools, fall, and family. But we overcame. We fought back.And although there is still damage,we are stronger than ever.

I am by no means thankful you came, but I am thankful for a country stronger than you. Ten years is about to go by, and the lessons we learned are as vivid as the Lord’s ability to use the storms to grow us.

Isaiah 43:1-2 says this: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”