Here in the mountains, we are deeply grateful for volunteers who come to the aid of our flood victims. People from all over the U.S. are temporarily laying down their daily lives to feed, mud out, clean up, tear out, and rebuild for those who were affected by the river flood a few weeks ago.
We have Georgia Disaster Relief staying at our church, Mennonites are at a church down the road, Samaritan’s Purse is in Pikeville, and KY Disaster Relief is working out of Meta Baptist.
Last Friday, I had the honor of working with a Samaritan’s Purse team made up of men and women who came from Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, and Cynthiana. They were beasts, in a good way.
To be honest, the night before, I went to bed uneasy. I had heard of a volunteer – not with Samaritan’s Purse – who had fallen right after he arrived here. Carrying his stuff from the truck, he got his feet tangled up in his cot and fell. That fall resulted in some broken bones.
Would that happen to me? I wondered. I sure didn’t want a broken bone. Would I have to be off from work if I did? Shew! Before letting my mind get away from me, I prayed. The devil was trying to get in my head. I went to sleep saying the verse I learned when I was eight: “When I am afraid, I will trust in God” Psalm 56:3.
The next morning after a Sam’s Purse training orientation, we were divided into teams. We finished demo on one house. (I pulled staples and screws from the wall studs.) After lunch, we traveled a few miles to meet a 70+ lady named Mary. Mary’s trailer had been completely engulfed during the flood. She had to find shelter as the water rose. Her home sat untouched for almost two weeks. Mud and water poured from every bin, appliance, and crevice. The ground all around was slippery.
Two verses came to mind as we worked. “He makes my feet like the feet of the deer. He causes me to stand on the heights,” Psalm 18:33. For the day, I switched the last words to stand in the slippery places. Then the next verse Psalm 18:34 reminded me, “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow.” God truly does give strength when volunteering.
As we took her still-soaked belongings to the curb for pickup, Mary went through each piece hoping to save trinkets and memories.
For a minute I leaned with her against the ruined air-conditioning unit. “That’s everything I have,” she whispered, looking at the muddy piles. And it was all of her possessions piled up by the road.
Miss Mary gave her heart to Jesus that day. (Chaplains with Samaritan’s Purse always take time with the homeowners to talk about spiritual matters.) Mary is going to need the Lord. Not just to get through this flood, but for every day after.
Long before the idea of Samaritan’s Purse was brainstormed, Jesus told the story of a man with a heart of compassion: the original Good Samaritan (Luke 10). He simply cared when others did not.
The floods brought darkness into the hearts and lives of the people here in the mountains. This is a great time and opportunity us to be Good Samaritan’s and show the love of Jesus to those in need. Come help if you can; pray if you can’t. I may not go to a foreign land this summer, but I can go over to the next county.
We all have a mission field, a place to be a Good Samaritan. Where is yours?