Monday, August 3, 2009

What really matters

Another volunteer team arrived today, almost 11 mos. since Hurricane Ike wreaked it's havoc on the little town of Bridge City, population 8651. One of the sponsors who was also from Texas told me that she had not heard about what had happened in our town. I told her about the fact that there were 3400 homes in Bridge City and only 14 were spared from the flooding. With eyes wide she replied "I had no idea!" She was amazed to hear our story as well as the college students who were volunteering their energy. The team only spent one afternoon at the church, but accomplished a great deal. There were about 35 in the group, so if you multiply that by the number of hours they spent working, that equals ALOT of volunteer hours. Over and over we heard, "Thanks for letting us come!" and "We are glad to help do whatever we can." One of them wanted to get a contact number so he could arrange another team to come back and work again. What a blessing!

Our restoration project continues to be a work in progress. But what amazes me is the fact that there are still people who live in the great state of TEXAS who have no idea about what took place or continues to take place in Bridge City. Why IS that? Is Texas bigger than even we Texans realize? Sometimes you begin to think, "We'll I guess we are so small we don't really matter." Everyone's eyes were on Galveston during the storm but our town is just a dot on the map, who cares what happened in Bridge City?

Then I began to think about the number of towns in Texas that are smaller in population than our own town. Towns that I am very familiar with and would really take notice of if the whole city were to experience a total devastation of some kind, whether it be a hurricane, tornado, fire or flood.

Towns like .... Jasper, Hillsboro, Commerce, Cleveland, Midlothian, Crowley, Dalhart, Carthage, Richland Hills, Liberty, Glen Rose, Mabank, Malakoff, Ft. Stockton, Buna, Whitney, Palmer, Kirbyville, Mt. Vernon, Italy, Fairfield, Canton, Hutchins, Red Oak, Mexia, Kaufman, Gladwater, Granbury, Forney, Marble Falls, Teague, Mineola, Pittsburg, Ovilla, Winnsboro, Cisco, West Orange, Madisonville, Lindale, Grand Saline, Crandall, Hutchins, Groesbeck, or Palmer ..... just to mention a few.

In my heart I know that there are plenty of people who do care. People from all over who have reached out to the residents of our town to help meet our needs. Our "little" town that we like to call our home. And for that we are so grateful.

But then I think of the One who has his eye on the sparrow and sees and cares when it falls to the ground and dies. Matt. 10:29 says "What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."

So when I am feeling small, insignificant, or unnoticed, for whatever reason ... I will remember the One who sees and knows and cares. I know that I am valuable to Him and that's all that really matters.

No comments:

Post a Comment