The power in perspective: The impact of Helene in the life of a student
Photo courtesy of Shalea Raines
Treasure Hardwick, Staff Writer
Life moves fast. It does not wait for the ones hurting or experiencing doubt, grief and questions. Even though the clock continues to tick and life goes back to “normal,” the people of Western North Carolina are still dealing with the devastating effects of hurricane Helene.
Shaylea Raines can testify to this. The sophomore early childhood education major at North Greenville University was deeply affected by Helene.
Raines grew up in Burnsville, North Carolina, a small town about 40 minutes from Asheville. She traveled home the day before the hurricane since classes were canceled. She was anticipating a long weekend with her family, but when she arrived to her mom collecting flashlights and filling pitchers with water, Raines became more nervous about the storm.
She slept through most of the storm, until about 5 a.m. when the power went out. She woke up to a bright flash and saw her dad standing by the door watching the storm.
Her father’s tense stance compelled her to get up and look for herself. When she looked outside, she was shocked to see an abnormal compilation of water and mud rushing down nearby mountains and into her yard. Her property was quickly becoming flooded.
After seeing this, she decided to try to go back to sleep. When she awoke again, she heard trees cracking and powerlines exploding. She watched as her neighbor’s car was swept away. This was the moment she knew this was not a typical storm.
The morning after the storm was an unforgettable experience for Raines. After rains slowed, she ventured into town with her family to check on her dad’s pharmacy. They gathered prescriptions and brought them home to be stored in their freezer. As they drove around, Raines saw the unthinkable.
Mudslides and sinkholes replaced the once beautiful and peaceful place she grew up loving. Cars were trapped in craters created by the flooding; roads were washed away for miles and houses were destroyed. This was unlike any damage this city had ever known.
“Lots of people lost their homes, their families and their jobs. We don’t know when school will be back. I think it’s worse than most people imagine,” Raines said.
Even though the damage broke Raines’ heart, she quickly decided to use this experience to serve those around her.
That same weekend, she partnered with her church, Burnsville Baptist, and handed out supplies to the community. Her job was to interact with the people picking up supplies and to see how she could serve them. Even though Raines was personally experiencing loss, her willingness to serve took her mind off her own situation, and it allowed her to recognize the situation as an opportunity to share the gospel.
Throughout the week following the hurricane, Raines and her family created a prayer wall and divided it into sections. They had a section dedicated to requests and a section devoted to answered prayers.
She said, “It was sweet because we kept enthusiastically moving over the sticky notes with prayers written on them to the answered section. It brought a lot of joy to tangibly see how God was working.”
Through all the loss and heartache, Raines has seen God move more than ever in her own heart and in the lives of those in her community. She has seen people who have never been to church show up to get supplies, and consequently, they have begun attending church services.
“I have seen God do so much in my church. I have been saying ‘pray for not only restoration and healing in the community, but also pray for revival as well.’ I think this is such a huge opportunity for Christians to step up and really be the hands and feet of Jesus and love on the people in the community,” Raines said. “We can show them what true joy and peace from Jesus looks like.”
As the weeks pass and life goes back to normal, Raines continues to make the trek from Greenville back to Burnsville, where she serves her community. Burnsville and its neighboring cities continue to suffer and are in need of service and prayer.
Raines continues to be a light for the community and to show those around her that it is important to see the good in every circumstance.
“I think there is power in perspective. I have seen God’s power and His protection in this circumstance, and I have seen others choose to see the good in this,” Raines said.
There are many in Burnsville who lost their homes and still do not have a place to stay. They are sleeping in tents on their property. Meanwhile, temperatures are dropping as winter approaches. Raines encourages people to give anything possible and to continue serving the communities affected by Helene.
