I had the opportunity to go to Galveston last week and help in the recovery effort there. A few things have touched me through this experience.
1. Gutting out water damaged house is something that significantly bothered me. It was hard to literally finish the job Hurricane Ike started while the homeowners were trying, for some, to see the damaged that had been done. By "finish the job", I mean, gutting out and getting rid of everything with water/mold damage. It was a hard thing to do. I know it was the first step in rebuilding for the people there, but it certainly didn't make the job any easier. 2. HOPE. Two different women certainly stick out in my mind. They both assured our team, that their possessions lost, their homes damaged, the uncertainty of insurance coverage were not going to deter them from keeping their hope in God. All of it (the lost possesions) could be replaced by something else, but the love of the living God could never be taken away from the storms of life. I pray that when the day of rising waters and high winds shatter my life I will be able to have such faith. 3. I was able to actually walk in the Gulf of Mexico. It warmed me in many different ways. But the experience put into perspective the
bible story of building your house on shifting sand. If you stood too long in place on the sands of the gulf, your feet would sink. It was a great real life illustration of why building on the firm foundation of God's love is better than the sinking sands of what our society considers important.

If you have a chance to serve... anywhere, in your town, another state, another country, don't dismiss God's leading. It is well worth it.