Is your love declared in the grave,

    your faithfulness in Destruction?

Psalm 88:11

This verse was put on my heart last week in Louisiana. My squad and I were given the opportunity to serve towns affected by the recent hurricanes and participating in disaster relief. We saw a whole lotta destruction. I asked the Lord, Where is your love in all of this? Where is your faithfulness?

Then he took us to Tom and Janet's home.

A tree had fallen through their roof. Where it had once been, there was a massive hole that had been patched up with a few pieces of plywood and a tarp. On the inside, the house was dark and hot, and it reeked of mold and decay.

Despite all the destruction, what shocked me most was the contrast between Janet's warm, inviting personality and the coldness of her home. She was a sweet, short woman with one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. The home was cleared mostly of furniture, empty and barren. The mold on the ceilings and flood damage meant it needed everything taken out- walls, ceilings, insulation, cabinets, sinks, even the bathtub. 

It’s hard walking into a home that’s already so broken down and demolishing it even more. It makes you wonder, am I really even helping here? The work needed to be done, but that still didn't negate the fact that it was pretty dreary.

Walking back and forth to the dump pile, I kept passing by some stuff Janet was planning to keep. Most of this included small items of furniture, but floating among it I noticed several picture frames filled out by what I recognized as a younger Janet and her family. Eventually, me and a few teammates asked Janet about these pictures. She immediately lit up. She told us about her husband, their first date, and their marriage of 43 years. She told us about this special home and when they first moved there around 30 years ago. They prayed over each room, and did what is called a Jericho march around it. Her kids grew up in that home. So many memories, so much joy tied to that special home. The home we were destroying. But that didn’t seem to phase Janet. She walked us through her home, relaying her plans to remodel each room. She was SO excited. 

It amazed me that she could walk around this barren home, now stripped completely of its walls and ceilings, and talk so hopefully about its future. 

It took me a while to realize that this is exactly how Jesus sees us. We are all homes, broken, empty, cold, destroyed. But he comes in and walks through, so hopeful and excited for all the remodeling he’s about to do! Yeah he may need to tear down some walls and clear out some junk, but in the end, it’s just so he can make an even better home for him to dwell in.

And then I realized: his love and faithfulness is literally all around, in every crack and crevice and nook and cranny of this house. It’s also in Janet's beautiful smile, in her wonderful family, in her plans of restoration, in the faithfulness of her marriage. 

Pretty cool stuff.

This little story is such a small snapshot of my time in Louisiana. We went to serve, and that’s what we did, but overall I came out of it feeling so blessed, full, and grateful. 

My challenge to you today is:

Where can you see his love and faithfulness in this day despite what’s going on around you? The bleakness of a situation doesn’t undermine the truth that He is loving and faithful. I promise you, He’s there. 

Thanks so much for reading, friend! As always, if you have questions or just want to talk, please reach out to me!

God bless!

Emma

emmasnowaustin@gmail.com

*Different names have been used for the privacy of the homeowners*