August 13, 2009

Disasters always catch us unaware.  No matter how much we practice for them, plan for them, and attempt to anticipate them, when disasters strike, we’re left powerless, wondering how this happened to us.

              None of us will forget December 4.  We’ll never completely lose the image of smoke billowing from our church.  All of the systems worked perfectly that day to ensure that the fire was extinguished and everyone was safe.  The devastation was minimal in terms of how much worse it could have been.

              We still carry the lingering memories of the ice storm that ran over us January 26-27.  We remember the sound of cracking limbs and the silence of a whole city without power.  They told us it would be bad.  They told us to prepare ourselves.  And still, we were shocked at the damage, the devastation.  For days on end we huddled together until heat and power could be restored.  We found creative ways to stay warm and to cook our food.  We became a different sort of community in our time of need.

              Louisville now faces this sort of need.  The flood waters that ravaged their area on August 4 have left millions of dollars of damage.  The waters have receded, but the mold has begun to grow in its place.  The debris piles are mounting and the needs are increasing as more significant damage is found under the surface.

              What are we to do?  In our times of need we were greeted by people more than willing to be “God with Us.”  They supported us with gifts, with helping hands, and with prayers.  They were here to assist us in whatever way we needed them.  People came from far away to cut limbs and drag them to the curb.  They warmed us with an open door and a fireplace.  They wrapped their arms around us as we cried in our despair.

              We have been through a lot in the past year.  We have struggled through challenges we never thought we’d have to face.  And we have come through them as resilient as ever!  We have seen the goodness of God in our midst.  It is now our turn to be the hands and feet of Jesus for those in their own disaster.

              This weekend we will collect money to give to the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship.  They have teams in Louisville who are clearing debris before it has a chance to mold any further.  The fuel costs alone are significant to make this happen.  KBF is assisting the teams by providing gas cards for their willingness to do this very dirty job.  KBF is also working to prepare “flood buckets” for people in need.  As you will remember from the ice storm, the supplies of most critical need in a disaster are few and far between.  KBF is creating these buckets to ensure that families have the supplies they need to rid their homes of water, dirt, and mold before the damage becomes even greater.

              If you were to go to Lowe’s and purchase the items for a flood bucket, the cost would be approximately $100 per bucket.  These buckets contain cleaning solutions, gloves, mops, brooms, trash bags, and other items.  In addition to the limited resources, this can be a financial burden for families already in crisis.  Would you help?  We are collecting money only, as the supplies KBF requests can likely be purchased for less money when bought in bulk.  Throughout the church on Sunday you will find 5 gallon buckets.  Drop your offering for KBF into those buckets, and we will get it to Louisville on Monday.

              Lastly, I would invite you to remember to pray for the Louisville region.  As we well know, when a disaster strikes it damages more than the land.  The hearts of the people grow weary as the remnants of the storm linger on.  The depression, anger, frustration and fatigue begin to wear us down and our resolve to “get through this” begins to weaken.  Pray for the area.  Pray for those ministering in the region.  Pray for those doing the thankless jobs of hauling away debris and eradicating mold.  Pray for congregations in the area, that they may be able to minister effectively during this time.  Pray for peace.

              Disasters always catch us unaware.  My prayer today is that we would allow our experience with disaster to make us better ministers to those in our state who need us now.  erin