Emergence

Do you ever wonder if God is active around you? Every wonder if He really cares about you? That’s me a lot of the time. But God shook me up over the last couple months. Here are some ways I saw God’s activity and His leading in the flood of 2010:

• He initially challenged me through a sermon podcast when I was out running, listening to Dr Bill Brown, President of Cedarville University, “Your actions speak directly of the God you believe in. But……….your in-actions, also speak of the same.” Then the flood hammered the Pompton River Valley that weekend.
• Is God aware of the details? He led us to borrow a set of crutches just after my son’s ACL surgery. Eventually, those crutches needed a replacement screw that led me to Home Depot early Sunday morning so my son could comfortably go to church that day. But God also prompted me to stop by The Village section of Pequannock on the way back to see if it was flooded, then to call some friends whose home was under water to see if they needed a place to stay. He led them to say they were taken care of, but asked if we would consider taking in their neighbors who have one-month old and 4-yr old boys, and moved to a hotel on Rt 46 1:30 in the morning on Sunday when the town evacuated everyone. “Your actions speak directly of the God you believe in. Your inactions, also speak of the same” immediately popped into my head. God, I hear you! They just moved back to their home after 6-weeks. I’m not sure who benefitted more, them or us. We made some great friends, and have an open invitation to stay with her parents in the Czech Republic any time we’re there! Nas Drovia!
• He made our two bedrooms available during the time of need while two of our girls were at college, and the oldest in Beijing teaching ESL.
• I saw God when He led two ladies in our congregation to spontaneously show up at the home of the folks staying with us asking if they could help. I came by and thought they were old friends, but they were just there taking care of the kids.
• God put me in a position where I had the time to invest in ministering and organizing the relief efforts. The flood occurred Saturday through Monday. I was intending on giving my notice resigning from my sales position on Tuesday to take another one in two weeks. I knew they would shut me down immediately, so I was able to jump in full time with this ministry.
• He led me to not go to Emergence that Sunday, but to the Lincoln Park Campus where Sam Ingrassia and family were speaking. He led me to bump into Pastor Paul Rittinger there which started the “what is the Chapel going to do to help” discussion.
• God led our congregation with an amazing vision for action. I saw people return day after day getting wet and dirty, having the vision and knowing that the Creator of the Universe was supplying for people in need through the hands of His people. I heard people ask us why we were doing this. They had never seen anyone just show up to help asking nothing in return. I saw people break down crying in our arms when all we did was ask if we could help. God used us to bring them back from the edge.
• God has given us all enough resources to meet the needs around us. I’m picturing two ladies whom God provided for materially, whom I asked to walk a couple blocks near the river in Wayne knocking on doors, telling people they’re from the Chapel, and asking how we could help. Their only responsibility was to call me with the needs they found. However, we were short staffed compared to the needs, and all our people were tied up in other projects. So they jumped in to tear out drywall and insulation, carried furniture and garbage to the curb, then went to the store to buy clothes for the homeowners since they totally wiped out. God provided for them, they understood why He did, and they in turn provided for those in need.
• At beginning of each shift, I divided up the homes in need asking each of our volunteers to take a project. God directed this without any of our knowledge. I got a call from Pastor Dave Gus one day saying that it wasn’t by accident he and Norma Jean were at this one home. He didn’t recognize her at first, but the homeowner was in a small group Dave led back in the 90s. She later told me it was clear God was calling her back!
• Space doesn’t allow all the accounts where we saw the actions of God. I firmly saw His leading, His actions, His provisions, and His concern.

The future - it’s been ~7-weeks since the flood. Stay tuned for an announcement for pro-active planning for future disasters. We’re putting a plan in place where each town will have a Chapel coordinator communicating with the township managers, churches and other town organizations. We know where the flood lines have been in the past, and we’re putting people in place now for that ministry when it occurs in the future. Please pray that God will be glorified in our actions, and that many people will be directed back to Him through us. “Your actions speak directly of the God you believe in”, and were are light in the midst of darkness.