Friday morning reflections
Elijah did a good job of covering the bulk of what we were up to yesterday, but there were a couple of other things that left an impression on me.
After we had gotten a decent morning's start at Mumsy's house, I took off to get the DVD to the UPS store so that it would get to Fond du Lac in a timely manner. Just a simple little chore. Yet as I got to talking with the UPS attendant, she started telling me her story of her experience in the hurricane (she almost lost her life, her friends lost their home and everything in it). But one thing in particular bothered her; the number of people who had had enough and left town, including her friends. Try imagining that in our little church; take a fourth of the people; they lose their homes and all their belongings. Another two fourths had damage to their homes from either flooding or debris. What would it mean to us to try and make it right for each other? What would it mean to us if a fourth of our congregation decided it wasn't worth staying and just moved elsewhere? (I'm talking the personal impact, not just church viability). I hadn't really thought about the sorrow that has come from all of the relationships strained and lost because of this storm.
On the flip side of that, I talked with Don and his son last night; they're the ones who've been working eight to ten hour days and staying in a couple of tents out behind the church for the past three months helping people get their FEMA trailers set up. They're being relocated by FEMA to New Orleans, where they'll do what they've been doing there. Don is a retired police officer, his son owns a U-haul business that he plans to sell so they can move down here and keep going with the reconstruction. A person might not understand what could drive people to do things like this; until you meet the people here, until you see the enormity of what needs to be done. It all sounds so simple, and yet tearing out a parquet floor and putting up drywall took us two and a half days. It takes time; and people, and resources -- and there is so much to do.
One of the folks from the Gautier Presb. church spoke yesterday about the people who are so overwhelmed, they just don't know where to begin. I would probably have fallen into that category. It took me months to fix a sink that leaked if you put water in the wrong basin; because I didn't quite know how to do it and was afraid to mess with it. It wasn't a difficult fix, in the end, but getting started was tough. How much more if it involves destroying (gutting) and rebuilding your whole house and throwing away the majority of your belongings?
Anyway. I'll write more later today. Blessings to you all from the warm (slight gloating) town of Gautier.
-Brian
After we had gotten a decent morning's start at Mumsy's house, I took off to get the DVD to the UPS store so that it would get to Fond du Lac in a timely manner. Just a simple little chore. Yet as I got to talking with the UPS attendant, she started telling me her story of her experience in the hurricane (she almost lost her life, her friends lost their home and everything in it). But one thing in particular bothered her; the number of people who had had enough and left town, including her friends. Try imagining that in our little church; take a fourth of the people; they lose their homes and all their belongings. Another two fourths had damage to their homes from either flooding or debris. What would it mean to us to try and make it right for each other? What would it mean to us if a fourth of our congregation decided it wasn't worth staying and just moved elsewhere? (I'm talking the personal impact, not just church viability). I hadn't really thought about the sorrow that has come from all of the relationships strained and lost because of this storm.
On the flip side of that, I talked with Don and his son last night; they're the ones who've been working eight to ten hour days and staying in a couple of tents out behind the church for the past three months helping people get their FEMA trailers set up. They're being relocated by FEMA to New Orleans, where they'll do what they've been doing there. Don is a retired police officer, his son owns a U-haul business that he plans to sell so they can move down here and keep going with the reconstruction. A person might not understand what could drive people to do things like this; until you meet the people here, until you see the enormity of what needs to be done. It all sounds so simple, and yet tearing out a parquet floor and putting up drywall took us two and a half days. It takes time; and people, and resources -- and there is so much to do.One of the folks from the Gautier Presb. church spoke yesterday about the people who are so overwhelmed, they just don't know where to begin. I would probably have fallen into that category. It took me months to fix a sink that leaked if you put water in the wrong basin; because I didn't quite know how to do it and was afraid to mess with it. It wasn't a difficult fix, in the end, but getting started was tough. How much more if it involves destroying (gutting) and rebuilding your whole house and throwing away the majority of your belongings?
Anyway. I'll write more later today. Blessings to you all from the warm (slight gloating) town of Gautier.
-Brian
posted by Brian at 5:35 AM
2 Comments:
Brian and all - thanks for your reports and for your ministry. You have enable us to get a sense of what you are doing and what it is like to be the hands of God and to be held in the hands of God as you work. I look forward to hearing more on your return.
Sam
Brian,
We received the cd. Phil and Ethan will do what needs to be done to it for Sunday. John T. is home now. Still not in great shape , but spirits are good. I will be talking about hope at Sat. night service. If you or anyone else down there have any comments to share that would be great.
Jody
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