Rebuilding Lives

I've just come from 5 days in New Orleans helping to "mud" out a home affected by the flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina. This was the 5th trip our church has taken since December 2005.

On this trip, we helped a young man named Floyd tear out sheet rock, flooring, and anything else with mold on it. It took our crew three days to get done. It was literally some of the hardest work I've ever done due to the precautions we had to take and the scope of the work.

It was also some of the most rewarding work I've ever done! We've been constantly reminded that we're helping rebuild lives, not buildings. Floyd is not a believer, but our Lord is working in his life to show him his need for a Savior. While he has not yet confessed Christ as Lord, seeds were planted and watered that I believe will bear the fruit of salvation in Floyd's life.

I shared with our crew that for me, our work is a metaphor of what our Lord does in our lives. Sin has a grasp on our hearts that is both easily visible and hardly seen. Sin is a part of our nature and affects every area of our lives. But then, our Lord regenerates us and gives us faith that we might receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our sinful natures are put to death through the blood of Christ and we are given a new name. Where once we were in shambles and slaves to sin, we are now heirs with Jesus Christ.

The house we worked on can easily be destroyed. The work of Christ is eternal. May we continue to ask our Lord to use us as His instruments of grace in a world that needs reclamation for His glory!