82nd Edition
For the people in small towns and isolated hamlets in western North Carolina, Hurricane Helene will go down in history as the thousand-year storm. Several villages were completely swept away by flood waters, and it may be years before some areas recover. I visited one of those devastated communities recently called Burnsville and walked away very encouraged for several reasons. I volunteered with a team from Samaritan’s Purse that included people from Tennessee, Illinois, and Connecticut, as well as various parts of North Carolina. All these people answered the call and traveled at their own expense to help those in need. How can you not be encouraged by that?!
I spoke to a Burnsville resident and asked him how he was doing. He said, “I’m blessed.” Then he handed me a card on which was written – Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12. Another reason to be encouraged…
The location where our team was assigned sits along the South Toe river. In the summer, parts of it might be about ten feet wide and maybe a couple feet deep. During the flood, the rushing torrent was over one hundred feet wide and destroyed just about everything in its path. Boulders the size of pick-up trucks now lie where the green grass of a homeowner’s backyard once did. Tons of debris line both sides of the river. Clean-up efforts are going to take years. But they are ongoing, and the industriousness of the locals and volunteers was amazing, and yes, encouraging to see.
As I carried pails of mud, I kept repeating the words on the card – Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be constant in prayer… Is it possible to be hopeful after a disaster? How many people live a life without hope? As Andy Dufresne said in Shawshank Redemption – “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” But what is the secret to being hopeful? Developing an attitude of gratitude might be a part of it. Having a strong faith to rely upon might also be important. One tends to think about these things when being at ground zero of a thousand-year-flood.
Being patient in affliction might be an even more difficult concept to grasp. Who wouldn’t do everything possible to end any form of affliction as soon as possible? Since we don’t control the forces of nature, perhaps patience is a good thing, before, during, and after. Resoluteness seems to be an appropriate mindset for those starting the recovery and rebuilding process.
Constant in prayer seems easy, but it takes discipline. Since prayer is communicating with God, talking and listening, it probably makes sense to do it often and regularly. My sense is a lot of people in western North Carolina are doing that right now.
I’ve always had a fondness for small towns and rural communities, probably because I grew up in one. They seem to always have people who are ready and willing to operate heavy machinery, tractors, chain saws, back hoes and the like. And when disaster strikes these people tend to respond quickly. The F-150 Calvary to the rescue, so to speak, checking on neighbors, saving people and beloved pets.
Churches tend to be the center of activity in small towns, particularly when disasters strike. Our Samaritan’s Purse group met, received training, and were sent out from a local church, to do the Lord’s work, as one of the leaders exhorted. Despite the dire circumstances, there was a sense of hope and grace. It will be hard to forget the courage of those impacted by this devastating storm or the compassion of neighbors and generosity of volunteers. Encouragement all over the place. Thanks be to God!
Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, say tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks
Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.