Christmas In Dixie
Our Coastal Christmas is shaping up. In spite of the storm, the obstacles, and the challenges, spirits seem to be up. I know that the people I'm meeting are in good spirits because we are handing them awesome Christmas presents sent by people like you.
Orlando from Heritage Christian University arrived today with a truckload of gifts. These were put together by the students of HCU. I didn't get to meet him, though, because I was out on a delivery. Maybe I'll get to meet him one day.
A few months ago Tony the Truck Driver drove in an eighteen wheeler full of supplies from the 
Great State of Iowa. He gave up his pay for a week and drove the supplies for free. Tony had a special heart and a great testimony of how he was surviving the loss of his six year old son. He seeks out others with losses and attempts to encourage them in the Lord. He brought a banner that said "Disaster Relief State Center, Iowa Cares!!"
In that truck were some food boxes. One of those food boxes made their way to the home of Bill and Christine, an elderly Pascagoula couple. Inside that box of food was a note from Lucas. I'm guessing that Lucas is about ten years old. He wrote on his home made card, "Your home is destroyed, you have no home, but at least we have each other." He listed his home address in State Center and wrote underneath, "will you be my friend?" Although Christine is in her eighties, she was impressed with this young penpal who wanted to be her friend. So she wrote him a thank you letter. Before long she received a reply with pictures, postcards, and other stuff a ten year old would think was important.
Today David and I sat in Bill and Christine's home. We had delivered them a brand new stove. This elderly couple has exhausted their personal resources trying to restore their home on their own. With nothing left of their own, they are now willing to accept some help from others - although it is hard for them to do.
So the long-distance love offered by a boy in Iowa had us all sitting around the table drinking coffee and wiping away tears. If a hand written barely legible few sentences sent by a boy to a stranger can touch hearts so deeply, I wonder what we could do intentionally?
From a boy's house in Iowa, to a grieving but faithful truck driver, a box was dropped into a stack of boxes outside a tent of busy relief workers. That box ended up with Bill and Christine. And two months later we sat around a small table in an empty house and cried over a letter sent from far away a long time ago.
And that's Christmas in Dixie, this year on the Coast.
Pictures: Above is the banner brought from State Center, Iowa. The second picture is Tony, the truck driver. Notice his truck is "a blessing from God" and "in memory of Brett, 1997-2003. Brett's picture is hanging around Tony's neck...right there close to his big heart.
Great State of Iowa. He gave up his pay for a week and drove the supplies for free. Tony had a special heart and a great testimony of how he was surviving the loss of his six year old son. He seeks out others with losses and attempts to encourage them in the Lord. He brought a banner that said "Disaster Relief State Center, Iowa Cares!!"
In that truck were some food boxes. One of those food boxes made their way to the home of Bill and Christine, an elderly Pascagoula couple. Inside that box of food was a note from Lucas. I'm guessing that Lucas is about ten years old. He wrote on his home made card, "Your home is destroyed, you have no home, but at least we have each other." He listed his home address in State Center and wrote underneath, "will you be my friend?" Although Christine is in her eighties, she was impressed with this young penpal who wanted to be her friend. So she wrote him a thank you letter. Before long she received a reply with pictures, postcards, and other stuff a ten year old would think was important.
Today David and I sat in Bill and Christine's home. We had delivered them a brand new stove. This elderly couple has exhausted their personal resources trying to restore their home on their own. With nothing left of their own, they are now willing to accept some help from others - although it is hard for them to do.
So the long-distance love offered by a boy in Iowa had us all sitting around the table drinking coffee and wiping away tears. If a hand written barely legible few sentences sent by a boy to a stranger can touch hearts so deeply, I wonder what we could do intentionally?
From a boy's house in Iowa, to a grieving but faithful truck driver, a box was dropped into a stack of boxes outside a tent of busy relief workers. That box ended up with Bill and Christine. And two months later we sat around a small table in an empty house and cried over a letter sent from far away a long time ago.
And that's Christmas in Dixie, this year on the Coast.
Pictures: Above is the banner brought from State Center, Iowa. The second picture is Tony, the truck driver. Notice his truck is "a blessing from God" and "in memory of Brett, 1997-2003. Brett's picture is hanging around Tony's neck...right there close to his big heart.
posted by JD @ 12/21/2005 08:29:00 PM
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