There are butterflies in the courtyard. They flutter about, orange and black and black and white, as if they do not have a care in the world. And, maybe, being butterflies, they don’t have a care beyond the next flower.
Just seeing them go about their lives brought peace to my soul as I watched them. I remembered what Jesus said, “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.” (Luke 12: 27-30)
Jesus did not promise that everything would be just perfect, but he reminds us that in time of trouble, God knows what we need. And God is not unfeeling. There will be a better day.
So then I came inside and I saw that friends were decorating the sanctuary in preparation for a wedding.
In the midst of the storm and the rising waters, Kristina and Jake are embracing a new beginning, based on love and hope found in God, and it seems to me that though these are hard days, there are little promises all around that we have not been forsaken, that God is with us, and there will be better days.
Here at the church, water came in on the organ pipes and we have identified some places where water found ways to come inside. We have contacted all of the appropriate entities: insurance company, organ company, and so forth. We wait for all of the numbers to be calculated and submitted. In the waiting, we are at peace.
Some of us have some damage to homes and businesses, some of us have endured LONG car rides. Some of us are watching water rise in garages, living rooms and kitchens. It is frightening. It is heartbreaking. But this is not the end.
I took this picture of a cardinal during the storm. It is not a good picture, but I watched this little bird hold on, and I remember that sometimes, all we can do is hold on faithfully.
We hold on to God, to one another and to the promise of tomorrow.
Today, though, we wonder how we can help. Start by praying for your neighbors and for all those affected by the storm. Pray for the safety of first responders and others working with survivors, and for the safety of UMC Early Response Teams and other volunteers who soon will go in to help begin the clean-up.
Look around for opportunities: as I type this, there are folks filling sandbags at Socastee High School and various organizations are gathering items to be distributed within our community.
Give generously of your compassion and your financial resources. You can donate directly to South Carolina UMC Disaster Response here, and to UMCOR’s United States Disaster Response here.
Train and volunteer for recovery efforts through United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. Much effort likely will be required after the storm to begin the process of restoring affected communities. You will find a schedule of opportunities for ERT training here. Churches also can assemble UMCOR relief supply kits.
Here at SUMC, we will collect a special offering for hurricane relief on Sunday, September 30, 2018 though you may donate at any time. The money will go to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which uses 100% of donations to help others. Administrative and overhead costs are covered by other “funding channels.”
Faithfully,
Pastor Scarlett