By Courtney Dailey
“I have stage four cancer,” William* told me. “I know I’m dying.”
We stood in the muddy front yard of a hurricane-wrecked home. This man was a stranger to me, yet here he was. Crying. Sharing about how he wanted to help…
“I kept wondering why I’m still here,” William said. “And then this happened.”
He handed me a check for $5,000, made out to my church, and told me to use it to help the folks on this street to rebuild their homes. We talked for thirty minutes. I hugged him and cried with him. My husband and I pray for him morning and night now. William has become another member of this great big family we’ve watched grow over the last three and a half weeks.
For those of you who haven’t been following the story, since Hurricane Helene reigned her terror on western North Carolina and east Tennessee, we’ve been blessed to watch God work even through the devastation on Spring Street in Hampton, TN.
We’ve seen communities and denominations cross the chasms that previously divided us, pooling our resources for a common goal. We’ve witnessed neighbors who held grudges, sharing tools and food and helping one another. We’ve watched strangers gather in circles alongside the road, praying together.
But most importantly, we’ve watched flood victims and volunteers alike committing or re-committing their lives to Christ.
Yesterday a group of local ministers and volunteers met to assign more churches to more families. On the street where we’re working, churches are “adopting” flood victims and walking them through the entire process of recovery, until their home is turnkey. But these churches aren’t just providing drywall and flooring and kitchen cabinets. They’re also offering emotional support, friendship, and God’s undying light to folks whose eyes shone with helplessness just three weeks ago.
Last night I spoke to one homeowner on the street who told me, “You know, Courtney, even two weeks ago, I would have said this was the worst thing that happened to me. But tonight I stand here and realize there is actually far more good that has come out of this than bad.”
Just wow. I can’t even begin to tell you guys the hundreds of God stories we’ve witnessed over the last few weeks… from funds and help showing up just when we needed them to watching love and revival break out in these hardest hit areas.
When I watch the news at night, I see a nation divided. Ugliness. Devastation. But when I look into the faces reflecting the hearts and minds touched by God’s divine peace these last few weeks, my hope in our country is restored. But even greater, my hope in God’s family and God’s church is restored.
God is always with us, but especially in the eye of the storm.
