Tuesday September 20
People ask me how long I've been here, and I don't remember anymore. All the days seem to blend: wake up, devotional, work detail, sweat, work (repeat last two many times), shower, eat, devo, visit, sleep.
Today, was out with a COC former preacher now counselor named Glenn Redmond from Nebraska, plus my friends Rob and Paul. We gutted the home of a man named Bobby who lives in Slidell. When we were leaving, he had his head down one hand on his hip and the other on his truck which held all of his remaining possessions. He was thankful and running to do what he could for us... a bag of ice. We gave one to his neighbor, prayed with Bobby.
If one of these houses was owned by someone you know, one of your family members maybe... it would be tragedy enough to ask your church to sponsor the family who lost their home and everyone would be talking about how the poor xxxx's family who lost their home. But this is every house in every neighborhood you can see for hours of driving in a car.
There's a strange respect and dignity in the air about cleaning this mess up. I don't really want to go into details about how nasty it is, about the exciting material objects I handled that were ruined by flood, about cleaning out a well stocked pantry and wishing I hadn't eaten this morning. It's like doing a good deed-- if you talk about it, it almost spoils it. Well, it feels like these folks need the dignity of moving on, not talking about all the stuff. The most important thing is that they just move on and leave it behind on the immense trash piles.
But I want to talk about it some because folks back home need to know the magnitude of this tragedy. I want you to smell the smells, get dirty in the grimiest grime, cry and pray with someone. Phillipians 3 has been running thorough my head the "I want to know Christ" passage. Share in his sufferings. That's what Christians are called to do here.
If you have ever considered coming down here and helping out, it's not too late. I'm afraid it's not going to be too late for months. Keep looking at the lists of need. Keep planning that trip down here. And come down, see for yourself. Send money-- if you can't-- send love somehow.
Today, was out with a COC former preacher now counselor named Glenn Redmond from Nebraska, plus my friends Rob and Paul. We gutted the home of a man named Bobby who lives in Slidell. When we were leaving, he had his head down one hand on his hip and the other on his truck which held all of his remaining possessions. He was thankful and running to do what he could for us... a bag of ice. We gave one to his neighbor, prayed with Bobby.
If one of these houses was owned by someone you know, one of your family members maybe... it would be tragedy enough to ask your church to sponsor the family who lost their home and everyone would be talking about how the poor xxxx's family who lost their home. But this is every house in every neighborhood you can see for hours of driving in a car.
There's a strange respect and dignity in the air about cleaning this mess up. I don't really want to go into details about how nasty it is, about the exciting material objects I handled that were ruined by flood, about cleaning out a well stocked pantry and wishing I hadn't eaten this morning. It's like doing a good deed-- if you talk about it, it almost spoils it. Well, it feels like these folks need the dignity of moving on, not talking about all the stuff. The most important thing is that they just move on and leave it behind on the immense trash piles.
But I want to talk about it some because folks back home need to know the magnitude of this tragedy. I want you to smell the smells, get dirty in the grimiest grime, cry and pray with someone. Phillipians 3 has been running thorough my head the "I want to know Christ" passage. Share in his sufferings. That's what Christians are called to do here.
If you have ever considered coming down here and helping out, it's not too late. I'm afraid it's not going to be too late for months. Keep looking at the lists of need. Keep planning that trip down here. And come down, see for yourself. Send money-- if you can't-- send love somehow.
posted by B. | 6:42 PM
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