I had the privilege of going to tornado-struck Joplin, Mo., for a day earlier this month. We were on a fact finding trip to see what People Matter Ministries could do to help. As we drove into town we began to see bits of debris in yards and trees. The closer we got, the bigger they got and the so called “shock and awe” began. People said it was unbelievable, incredible, sobering, and devastating. They were right about one thing: You can’t describe it in words or even pictures. As we drove past the rubble of a place where a family once lived and played, my heart began to break. I began imagining the moments they had to prepare that Sunday in May as life jolted to a halt. When the sirens stopped, the shock began and continues today, but there are people who have entered their pain to help any way they can. They offer a bottle of cold water, a smile, a box of diapers, or a warm meal – all things we take for granted.
There is so much despair and there are so many needs that it all just felt overwhelming – block after block, yard after yard and person after person. It was then I remembered a story, told in the Bible (Matthew 14:15-21). It had been a long hard day for Jesus, and he just needed to get away from it all. He got in a boat to go to a remote place where he could be alone. As the boat came to shore, Jesus saw a crowd there and felt compassion on them. Being who he is, he stepped out of the boat and met them there, setting aside his original plans.
Evening came and they were all getting hungry, so the disciples asked Jesus what to do. They went into the crowd and found a boy who had five loaves and two fish, the disciples comment was, “What good is this with this huge crowd?” Jesus then proceeded to feed all the people and had more to spare. I had some of the same thoughts as we drove by flattened houses, wrecked cars, and yards filled with trees and debris. It seemed there was just too much, too many, impossible. Then I met the people who were giving “their lunch” cooking food, unloading trucks, cutting wood, loving people. I began to see what Jesus saw as he takes what we offer and turns it into a miracle. It was then that I knew the hope we had to share—the lunch we have to share. Even though things can seem impossible and hopeless, little becomes much as you place it in the master’s hands.
Look around your community, see what Jesus sees and then ask yourself this question, what can I share?
If you want to learn more about our efforts to serve the people of Joplin, go to www.kidsmatter2.com.
