“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:34-36, 40
On Tuesday morning, Keith and I left central Arkansas and headed to the East Coast with our daughter Melissa’s car. She took a dream job in New London, New Hampshire for the summer and flew out a few weeks ago. The journey was 1,600 miles one way, but hey! We love the wind in our hair and the road before us. However, we watched from afar as our home state, Arkansas, suffered historic and catastrophic flooding along the Arkansas River. When we awoke in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and saw their local news reporting on the Holly Bend Levy failure, we knew it was more than staggering.
Thoughts and imaginings drifted to the long haul of this natural disaster. There won’t be a recovery, but rather, a continuing forward with a new normal no one really wants. My home is on high, dry ground. I haven’t lost anything, so what must I do to help those in loss? Here’s my plan, maybe you’d like to join me.
- Go light on lip service and heavy on man power. It takes more little Indians than big chiefs to rebuild a village.
- Shut mouth and shovel mud! Resist complaining about leadership or politics.
- Anger and desperation will be rampant. Be gracious and kind.
- Be invisible. If they don’t see me, they will give God the Glory.
- Support organizations who specialize in disaster relief.
Any time, any day, alone, in a group, every day or every once in a while, God will direct and I must go. I know He will send others too. I look forward to seeing you there.
Love,
Gretchen
P.S. A huge thank you to my sister Gayle Elizabeth Paladino for helping Keith and I get two vehicles to New Hampshire so we would have a ride home. We’ve been in a car for 3,200+ miles, (in Canada they were kilometers, but who’s counting) and I am better and stronger for having laughed so much. You lightened our load and brightened our journey. Love you!