I Can't Imagine

Last Wednesday our church received 12 evacuees from New Orleans, then on Friday we received 18 more. The church owns the apartment buildings behind us and had four empty apartments and so has put up these two families in them. When the families arrived all they had was packed in their cars, I can’t imagine what it is like for them to be here living now in a two bedroom apartment with eight other people and having all that they new as home gone. It has been beyond amazing to watch our church provide for these families; food, clothes, sheets, mattresses, towels, money, gift cards, school, medical needs and much more. And despite some ungratefulness everyone continues to give. Though these people are being taken care of completely it is still obvious that this is not their home, that they are not comfortable here, which is so sad to me. I don’t expect them to be jumping up and down with joy but I think it is these people that really makes this disaster real for me. And yet among all that has happened I still feel the urgency in meaningless deadlines like getting the youth calendar updated, putting up posters for our car wash coming soon, and so on. But the families next door to me are deciding where their new home will be and how they will make it after this month. I can't imagine, and my hope rests in, what it will be like once we are HOME and no longer searching for a tempory place here. I know that might sound cheesy but oh well, it is my encouragement...my hope of home.