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God has blessed Dan and me with a great friendship and ministry partnership. Although I had felt no leading to go to Joplin, I had no hesitation because I knew God had put it on his heart.
Off we went, along with his son-in-law Westin. We were overwhelmed with what we saw and glad to be foot soldiers for Jesus. We were privates in an army to respond to overwhelming need. Dan and Westin used their chainsaws to clear debris from salvageable homes; I answered phone calls on the volunteer hotline.
We were amazed at the outpouring of help and humbled by those serving in Jesus' name. We met one guy from Denver whose ministry is sharpening chain saws in disasters. He was returning from the devastation in Alabama when he heard the news about Joplin. As he sharpened Dan’s chainsaws, he said, “Take something from the bucket of life.” A plastic bucket held tracts and new testaments.
When I started a conversation, he shared, “I got one salvation yesterday.”
God used the experience to reinforce a few truths to me. First, Jesus is our only Rock. Everything else can disappear in the bat of an eye.
Second, even though the devastation was beyond anything I had seen firsthand, it was limited to what really amounted to a tiny geographic area in the scope of the world. I could not help but think of what the end times will be like when the whole world is convulsed. I’m glad to know I (and all fellow believers in Jesus) won’t be around for that.
Finally, we serve an awesome God. There is no way we can pretend to understand what happened in Joplin from a worldly perspective. God is sovereign. We trust Him. Our only hope is in Him. Without Him and the knowledge that through faith in His Son Jesus we are promised eternal bliss, we are just victims in a tragic crap shoot.
-- Mark
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