12 Oct The Best in The Worst

I’m a native Floridian, transplanted to the great state of Texas 20 years ago. You know I love Texas, but a big part of my heart will always live in Florida. Nearly all of my family are scattered around the state; most of them, and my lifelong friends, are in my hometown of Orlando. When they hurt, I hurt. And when they’re going through something big, I’m going through it with them—even if I’m not there. So, when the eye of hurricane Milton passed over their homes in Orlando, I was on the phone at 4:00 AM with my sisters while they endured the pounding rains, and the roaring winds huffing and puffing around them, threatening to literally blow their houses down. Ever been in a hurricane? It’s a literal nightmare.

Two ferocious hurricanes within 10 days is a sucker punch. People were barely breathing in Florida and got kicked again; and the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia are still reeling from last week’s storm. I cry for them all. Pray for them all…all who have suffered any kind of loss over the past two weeks. Many who won’t recover their homes, their land, their livelihoods, their loved ones. Many who won’t recover peace of mind. It’s just so much. It’s too much.

O, Jesus, help them. O, Jesus, send them hope!

When the Worst Brings Out the Best

Yet in the midst of all the rain and raging storms, tornadoes, mud slides, and storm surges that have washed away the foundations of homes and lives, I have seen the best of humanity, the “goodness” of fellow Americans rising up, taking action, running toward the hurting like firefighters into a burning building, sacrificing themselves to get to the heart of the pain, reaching out…pulling folks up from the wreckage. Like spiritual CPR, kind and able men and women have breathed help and hope into the hopelessness of hundreds of thousands of people in need across five states over 14 days.

Yes, the past two weeks have shown humanity at its finest. People who have been the hands and feet of Jesus; even those who don’t know Jesus have brought the help and hope of Jesus— because Jesus works through those who are willing to serve. Willing to help people and give them hope.

It’s a beautiful thing to help another human being find their way again.

Held

Pain hurts. Emotional pain, physical pain; pain from loss, from sickness, from storms. It all hurts. And lots of people are hurting right now— and will be for a long time. The reports are tragic. The loss is staggering. The weariness of it all is suffocating. The pain is bone deep.
My dear, lifelong friend, and fellow native Floridian, Leslie Chalfont, painted the most beautiful picture of our beloved state, expressing the hurt of what’s happened to Florida over the past two weeks—and the heart that’s still beating strong. As she posted on Instagram: “Two weeks, two hurricanes, too tired.”

Indeed, there’s been too much. Too much hurt, and heartache, loss, and weariness. It’s more than a heart can handle. But as I’ve watched and listened to the reports I’ve been so in awe at the goodness of people… the goodness of God in the midst of such horrific times. I think Leslie’s portrayal of Florida tells the story of help and hope, and the best that has come out of the worst of times.

Hesed: the love that won’t let go.

I also see in Leslie’s picture a beautiful story of how we are held— held together in love. And for the Christian, how we are held in the loving grip of God’s lovingkindness. That word, lovingkindness, is the Hebrew word hesed— and my favorite word in all of Scripture. It means the lovingkindness of God— literally a love that won’t let go. In times when we feel torn apart, shattered, falling apart… we can find hope in the fact that we are held in God’s lovingkindness. And there’s no better, safer place to fall apart than in the arms of the One who holds everything together (Colossians 1:17).

Christian recording artist, Natalie Grant’s beautiful and poignant song, Held, has long been one of my favorites, and I think a perfect reminder for times like this. Christa Nichole Wells wrote the lyrics— the refrain is one I think of so often—I linked the song above:

This is what it means to be held
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved
And to know that the promise was when everything fell
We’d be held

Something to Think About

The goodness of mankind—Whether you’re a Christian or not, each of us has the ability to do good, because each of us is created in the imagine of God—who is all good, and “…no one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18). Therefore, though we are born sinners, every human is capable of doing some good. However, when we see “goodness” at work in a person’s life, it is not necessarily an indication that one is a Christian—that they’ve received salvation in Jesus Christ.

I often hear people describe someone who has died as a “good person,”and that they’ll be in heaven. That is not true, and it’s dangerous to assume that because one is a good person, he or she will go to heaven. Good works are not the entry to heaven— only the blood of Christ is. The blood that cleanses us from sin; sin that carries with it a death sentence; sin that we were born with and that cannot be removed any other way than by the blood of our Savior.

The goodness of mankind is only a mere reflection of the God who created us in his image. But sin still infects and kills and destroys until it is dealt with by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. There is no other way. Because Jesus doesn’t make bad people good; he makes dead people alive!

Let’s pray for the workers— for those who are not saved, but who have run to the help of those in need; pray that they would hear the message of the gospel, and see it displayed in the lives of the people that they work side-by-side with— even in the lives of the people they’ve come to help! Nothing would be more beautiful than to see many come to faith in Christ through all this tragedy.

One More Thing

I’m grateful for our friends at Samaritan’s Purse who are serving victims of both hurricane Helene and Milton. There efforts have been tremendous! You can find out how to give or volunteer on their website (link above).

And please take a peek at Leslie Chalfont’s beautiful creations on her website at Giddy Paperie and on Instagram at @giddypaperie. You’ll LOVE her work and the many clever everyday ways she displays them— from pretty papers, to beautiful table settings, home goods, holiday favorites… and more! She’s amazing!! 🩷

Until next week— don’t forget that you are greatly and dearly loved by The King! And let’s live our beautiful, ordinary lives like women who believe it!

I love you!
xo – P❤️