So it seems like forever since I've been here. But the last week and a half has been so indescribable, I had to take a moment and get it out.

Hurricane Irma made her appearance and devastated areas of our county, while me and my family have the luxury of our home, power and all of our belongings. Today, we stopped by to check in on some friends from the ball field. They were not so fortunate. They were some of the more than 300 people that were rescued by boat. This had never happened to them. Their house had always been high and dry. They have lost everything... their home that has been in their family for decades, their cars, everything in their kitchen, their piano, their mattress and bedroom set, and the list goes on and on. They did salvage some clothes and all of their children's mattresses. By the time we showed up on the scene, they had already been ripping out dry wall for days. They said their neighbor, an older lady across the street, needed some help because she had it worse than they did. We walked over and jumped in to help this stranger. Pulling wet dry wall, hauling it to the roadside. The homeowner was as sweet as she could be, as she walked around in her wet boots, working alongside us and the teams of others there to help. There are probably thousands of stories like this in our community. 

We got home and were able to shower and are relaxing, but I couldn't help but think about God in all of this. I kept thinking about all of the ways God used my senses today:  giving hugs, smelling the stench of rotting dry wall, seeing the piles of people's belongings in the front yard, hearing the sounds of people scooping up squishy drywall and tossing tiles into the wheelbarrow and then there is tasting. God brought to mind his word in Psalm 34:8: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. I don't ever want to forget God's faithfulness through all of this. He is hope, even when there seems to be none.

I also come back to the stench. It was so strong, so overwhelming, so distinct, so horrific, so sad. But then God reminded me about the sweet aroma of worship.   2 Corinthians 2:14-15 says: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."  

This is our community right now... rebuilding lives from the ruins, being Jesus' hands and feet to friends, neighbors and strangers, tasting and seeing the Lord is good, all the while spreading the aroma of knowing He is everywhere and our loving kindness toward one another is pleasing to Him. Thank you, God for the privilege of loving and serving others and giving you glory.

Staying Clay County Strong!