October 2005 - south parking lot of Bethel Lutheran Church, Biloxi. Volunteers prepare for a day of work. While at Bethel I met brothers and sisters from WA, CA, PA, VA, WV, MN, WI, MI, IN, MO, GA, FL.... and throughout my time there I was aware of being only one person in a very gigantic mission. Brothers and sisters from churches all over the U.S., and from every denomination and beyond, were on the Gulf Coast at work.
I came back repeating and repeating this thing: that this huge cleanup and healing, this ten-year process (at least) involves billions of dollars and thousands and thousands of people, but it's all happening one person, one armload at a time, one meal, one gallon of detergent, one hug at a time, one 'please' and 'thank you,' one 'bless you,' one 'peace' at a time. It was an absolutely humbling experience. We will be surrounded by needs and by property that needs fixing and, more important, by hearts that need healing. It is overwhelming. I believe that we're meant to be overwhelmed, we're meant to put ourselves in the Lord's hands and to be placed where we can do what the Lord has in mind. I am praying that we will return from Mississippi to our neighborhoods with a more vivid sense of what this means and how the Lord works.
- Pastor Glen