This past week, most of the nation has watched news coverage of the storms that have rocked the southern states. There have been record level floods and tornados in multiple states leaving behind catastrophic damage and destruction. Lives have been lost in the process. We have all seen the numbers on television, and read the accounts of the horrific aftermath following these storms.
God blessed me with the opportunity to go and witness the storm damage first hand, and hear the stories of survivors. I will not share those stories here in part because they are graphic and painful, but also because these are real people with real hurts and losses. I want to honor them by not disclosing their tragic stories in a blog. One story that I do want to share with you is a story of life! It is a story of humanity, and the heart of Christ.
There is a man named Israel who lives in one of these rural communities. He is a small business owner who was blessed to have not lost his home, or his children, or his wife in these deadly storms. In the days that have followed the storms, Israel has taken it upon himself to take action and serve his community in any way possible. He has sacraficed his time, sleep, money, resources, connections…all to bring hope and restoration to a community that has been devastated. He has turned his business into a staging facility for donations coming into the area and opened up his rental property for relief workers to sleep and eat. To summarize all that he has done would take several blogs. As I watched this man serve his community, as I watched the people come to him when they needed help, as I watched him give and give and give….one thing continued to come to mind. God wanted me to tell this man that he is the heartbeat of humanity. It was Christ living in this man that has allowed this community to mobilize and begin the process of cleaning up, recovering human remains, and eventually begin rebuilding. It is because of this man that I had hope that my God was still in control, despite the devastation surrounding me. Aren’t each of us called to be like my friend, Israel?
As I reflect on the people I met, and the stories I heard, there is a song that resonates in my heart. Take a listen, then pray for the people of the southern states who have lost so much. Pray for the relief workers who are working long days in order to bring hope and compassion to these communities. There is a long road ahead for everyone involved. There is healing needed that can only come from one place… our Heavenly Father.
