Changed Perspective

Valerie sharing with Pastor Donnie from One Harbor Church

Matt and Valerie built their home in North Carolina 2 ½ years ago.  When they heard about Hurricane Florence, they boarded up their windows, moved things out of the yard, and left for Charlotte.  Neighbors went to their home when the flood waters came since it was on higher ground.  When they returned home Monday morning, they found that the water had risen to 8” in their home.

Valerie shared, “We did not expect flooding.  We’re not in a flood zone.  So that really was not even in my mind as a possibility.” “We came in and everything looked the same.  It just smelled bad or it was all wet.  It is amazing what 8” of water can do to a home, but I want to grow as much as I can through this.  I don’t want this to just be about fixing the property.  I want it to be about God being glorified, and I want us to grow through this as much as we can.”

Not much left

Matt (center) is helping gut a house for Brandon and Tracey

Matt explained that they had just read through Romans 8 that morning.  “It talks about how if you pursue the passions of the flesh, that leads to death.  If you pursue the passions of the Spirit, it leads to life.  I started to think about that as I walked by the mound of stuff outside- all our possessions we’ve been piling up.   It has been super easy for us to just follow along with this American dream where we constantly find the next thing on Amazon and order it.  You know, it has been this constant pursuit of more stuff, and God just showed us.  We’ve had this house for a little over 2 years, so there was a lot of stuff in here.”  It was all now gone.  “It has been an eye opener.”  

“This has just changed my perspective on how we need to be missional no matter where we are.  Whether it is just in our neighborhood, having dinner with some friends, or over this past week.  If you’re on a job site, you don’t have to be working the whole time.  You can stop and pray with someone.  That means a lot to them.”  Even their non-Christian neighbors are saying, “Hey, I will be praying for you.” “Something in them is telling them there is a higher being.  I think tragedy like this is a good eye opener for Christians and non-Christians.”

Valerie gutting for Brandon and Tracey

Valerie never thought too much about people who had been through disasters before this.  She explained, “After going through this personally, I have a new outlook on people who are going to go through this in the future and people who have dealt with it in the past.  My heart just hurts for them, and I feel I can relate to people in a way I couldn’t before.  I think it is going to make me a more compassionate person.”

As they reach out to others impacted by the storm to gut houses and be there for them, they are bringing glory to God.

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