The upper left photo is the gently moving river in front of our home in the north woods. The upper right photo is one of God's majestic water falls in northern Canada. And the lower left photo is of our two new ponds, recently constructed by my son, husband and me. Water is a place of quiet and serenity for me. However, in the past week I've seen water be a raging and fierce source of damage and destruction. We are in the area that received 18 inches of water last week with another 2 to 3 falling this past Saturday. Many of our friends and acquaintances are flooded out, having lost everything. It's been frightening to see the effects of water raging into places it was never intended to be and never been before. There are scenes that are unimaganeable unless seen with your own eye. And there has been tragedy in the loss of lives. Stuff can be replaced, people can not. In the midst of the muck and mire is a miracle story that I want to share. A mother and her five children lost everything in the flood, including their car which was swept into the raging waters and destroyed. Her husband had left her and the children two weeks before this, canceling the insurance on her car and home. Tony, who attends church with us, owns a nice BBQ restaurant in the area of the flooding. His restaurant was spared. Tony went into the flooded neighborhoods offering free food. This woman and her children arrived that afternoon asking for a meal. As she shared her plight with Tony, a man was standing nearby and overheard. He stepped up to her and shared that he has more money than he will ever spend. His financial advisors keep urging him to invest in this or put money in that stock. He said that doesn't make sense to him, but this need does. And with that he offered his card to her and to Tony. He said he is going to buy her a new home and new car. So in the midst of the mud and misery, a Good Samaritan is present. And his story is grand, but there are so many other stories that are just as generous. We are each called to give out of what we have. Some of us can give more than others. It's not how much we give, but what we give out of what has been given to us. As you sit in your dry home, will you ponder what God is calling you to give. Maybe that's not a material thing, but a talent or gifting or maybe just a smile or a word of hope to someone who is struggling. Stay dry and keep pondering....................
