Homes in Long Beach…after Sandy
Wednesday afternoon, after much preparation we departed from Houston. What is our final destination? Baltimore? New York? New Jersey? In disasters like Hurricane Sandy the situation is VERY fluid especially for the first few days. We have learned we have to remain as flexible as the situation is fluid. The Peace of the Lord is a VALUABLE gift always, but especially so in the midst of crisis. Thanks to your prayers, we have experienced an abundance of HIS peace as we have prepared and especially as we have driven. We only know we have a place to stay…we just don’t know exactly where we are will serve.
Our first day on the road, we managed to get stuck in the rush hour traffic departing Houston at just the right time! As we headed to North Texas our plan was to drop our little dog off for an extended visit with my Mother. Mercy is a real trooper and has learned to travel well. Even at 82 Mother is a trooper too….not sure she knew exactly what she was getting into when she volunteered to keep Mercy, but she is more than willing to serve the Kingdom.
Our goal for the second day was to make it to Knoxville, Tennessee and get some sleep before heading into Baltimore, MD. Driving nearly 1500 miles in a car can give a person LOTS to think and pray about!
Among other things, we have been SO blessed to see SO MANY trucks, vans and ministries along the road as we all converge at the new “ground zero”. There have been the Baptist Men from Tennessee; many trucks carrying large generators, utility repair trucks…all the usual kinds of vehicles. There is a determination, though unspoken, that is written on the faces of each of us as we pass by one another. Each has a sense of the urgency of the hour and the desire to help those who are hurting, hungry, thirsty and cold. This morning I was especially moved to see the woman from Staten Island that had lost her home tell the news reporter as she cried, “I just want to go home! I just want to go home….BUT, I can’t! It isn’t there!” I am thankful for our friends and ministry partners like Victims Relief Ministry and CRI (Crisis Response International) who are also in the process of responding to these critical needs. I know that it is one thing to meet the physical needs which are extremely important, but quite another to meet the SPIRITUAL needs of an individual as they walk through the process of grieving! Lord, may each of them encounter the Giver of ALL COMFORT through the hands and feet of your Body.
Each time we have experienced discomfort along the way, we have also been so very mindful of our friends like Jim Esposito of New York Resource Service Center and Pastor Jeremy Del Rio of Abounding Grace who are such tangible expressions of love to the people in Manhattan that find themselves in such dire circumstances since Sandy blew through. Both are men that have been on the front lines for years, serving day in and day out. These are men that Terry and I have only met through the all important Somebody Cares Conference calls these last few days. As they have shared their stories our hearts have been knitted together with theirs. Then there are people like Matt and Katy Stevens of Somebody Cares Baltimore- a couple who we greatly respect, admire and consider as family. They have pastored in the area for years and deeply care for those they serve. Our heart is to serve Matt and Katy as they serve their community!
So we drive…and we push…we must arrive!
When crisis comes, it seems like everything suddenly is going backwards! It seems that times are dark and difficult. But as the Lord shows up and His Church connects with volunteers, officials and those in need, things begin to improve and the load gets lighter. Often, things end up better than even before! We pray that each of us can RISE TO THE TIME IN HIM!