When it rains, it pours! Major House Leak
When it rains, it pours! On Saturday, May 21, I received a shocking phone call. A frantic high-pitched caller yelled out “Pastor John!” followed by a long pause then he yelled again, “it's raining in the living room, it's raining inside!”
When I got this call about one of our ministry buildings Pastor Donny and I were over an hour away at a mission conference. If I were home, the house is only one mile away, but now there was nothing we could do. All I could say was, “But God.”
Literally in shock, one discipleship resident sent a video and pictures of the damage. Our discipleship house had sprung a leak from the second-floor bathroom sink. Water was flowing out the bathroom and down the stairs like a small river into the living room. The water was also leaking through the bathroom floor through the living room ceiling. It really did look like rain coming from the ceiling. The couches, coffee tables, rug and TV stand were all ruined by the water damage. In an instant, everything fell apart.
What do you do when everything falls apart? This is a question I've asked myself many times while serving in our urban communities since 2007. I'm not the only one that asked this question. People want to know what they should do when their lives fall apart and where to turn. Other pastors and leaders regularly reach out asking us how we navigate life breaking situations.
These situations are not problems to me. Problems leave you defeated. I instead like to call them challenges because challenges can be overcome. Some of my favorite scriptures are the “but God” Bible verses we find throughout the Bible when God takes a horrible situation and turns it around. “But God” brings hope when we can’t see a way through. “But God” means ashes aren’t the end of our story. “But God” says God, not our circumstances, always gets the last word.
There are over 25 “But God” verses in the Bible. In Genesis 8:1 after the Flood it says, “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” God saved Noah and his family and gave them hope after the Flood.
Your situation, your pain, your heartaches have not been forgotten. God remembers us. He is faithful! He knows exactly what is needed and at what time. Our job is to walk by faith, to believe His Word, and to be willing to be used by Him even if a flood from the bathroom is destroying the house!
By God we were moved to pray and to call our friends for help, a plumber to fix the pipes, and an electrician to make sure our discipleship guys were safe. Within an hour we had a new flex line installed, and the water was back on. The next challenge was the cleanup.
The discipleship guys removed all the furniture, ripped out the soaked carpet, and started sucking up all the water. It became evident that the living room was beyond saving, all was lost. They say pictures speak a thousand words - please check them out HERE.
We need your help. We are in need of living room furniture and financial support to help us replace the ceiling and flooring.
Here is our list of needs:
Couch
Love Seat
Big Chairs
Coffee Table
End Table
Lamps
TV
Throw rugs/Carpet
Pillows, Towels & Bedding
Socks, Underwear and toiletries are always welcome
So, what's next? How can you help? This is a great opportunity to schedule a time to volunteer or bring a group of volunteers. You could also donate supplies, furniture, or finances to help us fix the flood damage.
Financially sponsor Repairs to the Discipleship House
Over the summer we are asking volunteers and business owners to help us with the house. Not only that, we are looking for mentors, sponsors and volunteers to help lead one-on-one Bible studies. Please reach out if you can help with these projects.
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