It’s hard to believe just six days ago Hurricane Helene devastated state after state after state—concluding her reign of terror in North Carolina and Tennessee.
I know most of you, like me, have scrolled through social media and watched the news in horror. We have spoken to friends and neighbors who are hurting. There are so many still missing, folks who have lost everything, and entire communities leveled. We have cried every day, prayed for families, worked to help those affected, and asked God for His guidance. This is the heartbreaking, discouraging truth.
But that’s not what I want to talk about in this week’s newsletter.
Today I want to talk about the true and living GOD and how He has shown up over and over and over again this week. In our tiny corner of the world, in the mountains of western North Carolina and east Tennessee, I have watched people come together in love and unity, rising up and shining His light on a broken world. I have watched strangers hugging, praying together, picking up the pieces of broken homes as they cried and quoted Bible verses to one another. I have seen different churches and various denominations who used to argue over petty things, joining forces to collect goods and distribute them to the hardest hit areas.
I’ve seen companies donate excavators. I’ve had literally THOUSANDS of people from all over this country reach out to me (who am I to be doing this?), wanting to know how they can help. I’ve read message after message from folks who don’t have much, but want to give somehow. I’ve had two different people pledge to send in entire sets of kitchen appliances. KITCHEN APPLIANCES! One company agreed to re-floor my friend’s entire house. Someone else is furnishing all new kitchen cabinets. And I haven’t had a chance to sort through 10% of the messages even still…. Messages from our brothers and sisters all over the place.
I stand amazed in His presence, my eyes pouring. There aren’t words for the blessing it has been to sit here and witness God in motion. Because when God moves, He moves in a big way. Lives are changed.
And when tragedy strikes, His people show up. They pull together in brotherly love and give and give and give. They cook food tirelessly and offer to open their homes, they provide tools, and manpower. They show up covered in mud with their chainsaws and break their heavy machinery, saving complete strangers. They volunteer their helicopters or their private airplanes or their construction crews.
They just show up.
One of the most powerful moments of the entire week happened last night and I just have to share it with you because I can’t stop thinking about it. We were in Hampton, TN on a street of complete wreckage. My husband had just finished loading the last pieces of someone’s home into a national guard dump truck, to be hauled away.
The homeowner stood there with tears in his eyes and told us his story. He and his wife and their pets had just made it to higher ground, at a church, where they watched the rush of water come in suddenly and take their home before their very eyes. He explained to me he hadn’t been big on faith his entire life. His wife went to church but all that “religious stuff” just wasn’t for him.
His wife had a porcelain Jesus statue on the mantle of their home. After the house was destroyed, he found the statue in the debris. Intact. And he said in that moment he realized God had spared their lives. He said watching God’s people come together this week and help families has convicted him. He told me he was giving his heart to God and spending the rest of his days serving Him. He was crying so hard, he could barely speak.
We sit at the feet of an almighty God who takes our messes and turns them into something beautiful. That’s certainly what He’s done in my life, and I keep watching Him do it over and over again in other people’s lives too. He brings beauty from ashes and turns graves into gardens. He shelters us under His wings and comforts us and brings us the peace that can only be found in Him.
The Christians across this nation are full of love. True servants with servant hearts. To watch God’s family, from coast to coast, unite together and serve one another? I’m speechless. There are no words.
God, I just stand in awe of You.
Verse of the Week:
“God’s dwelling place is not among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3
Quote of the Week:
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” -Ryunosuke Satoro
Great post. It's great to see Christians working together in unity. It's like precious ointment.
Thank you for God’s update. He’s working! 🤗