10/14/2024
Update: What a beautiful blessing. Supply chain is about repaired however the sheer need remains but is shifting. If you are thinking of dropping off please no more bread and no more hotdogs. They are about all hot dogged out up da mountain but seriously heavy hitters moved in all yesterday and the day before and the need for prepared meals and proteins from outside volunteers is not urgent. Can you believe combining the stress of the storm losing all and working. Never does a meal taste so good to anyone and never is there a better time to listen when people open up. People on the mountain are tired. They are hungry. They are hurt. Emotions are high and raw however rarely directed at another so much as to the situation. They storm. Amazing stories of courage. Stories of loss and despair. Stories of hope and gladness. Every mile I traveled and every bit of food I handed out you were there for me my God and my Friends encouraging and strengthening. The people we served were so greatful words can not express the blessings I was feeling welling up inside and now I pass along to you because we all shared in this blessing. My thinking is if part of the Kingdom of God is hurting it is up to us the other part to give the hope and make them whole and in doing so you learn what giving God a blessing is. So many blessings bouncing around in the midst of despair and gloom. Many blessings received, given and missed. I used mine to pray with as many and to try to give hope to that one little piece of the Kingdom. Afterall no one person can do that. I prayed for strength and clarity and their you were my friends and family praying for them praying for me the way it is supposed to me. We are forever changed the storm will bring changes that even the furthest and most intuitive part of you brain can't comprehend.. The one thing that readily comes to mind though is how much alike we are than different. I carry that in my heart every day as I have always done and implore you to do as well. The love you have for Jesus is all for naught if you let your brother and sister down in a time of need. A kind word. A listening ear. A casserole and paperware. It all transcends the same. The love of God. Thank God almighty for a mother and father who raised me as I am and truly show me what love is. Thank God for an active church that leads by example and marches to the tune of God's will. I love you all so very much for who you are, my friends my family my brothers and sisters and Christ. I am so thankful to all of you as the people of WNC are to us. You gave me strength to give to them. Their needs are changing a little but don't let that discourage you from going out and getting some of those blessings floating in the wind waiting to change some ones life. I am so blessed to have the strength and presence to reach up and grab one so big you can not fathom. So for now I will run up to the area tomorrow and another $200 donation towards another trip. After tomorrow. I will go up next week as well. The info passed me was please no more bread. Please no more hotdogs. Meats and proteins are good and as I had mentioned the supply chain of those items is good but here is what they need that I will be taking tomorrow: Fresh Fruit if I can find and when I say fresh fruit the folks up there are deluged with apples and bananas. Not that that is a bad thing but I will be looking for things like some blueberries, raspberries, melons. Fresh leafy greens. Anything salad. Salads have been a rare commodity. Thank God for cabbage. We grilled a lot of cabbage. They needed a few items like good olive oil, soy sauce, red onions. If you ever pushed a cart and are a shopper you will know it all just comes to you in your head. I am glad God plugged me in this way. Being a single dad all those years that was one way God was preparing me for this. Cooking for Wednesday nights dinner for 50 plus for years prepared me. Sometimes when you are in the middle of life you just don't know what God is preparing you for. I choose Carpe Diem. Seize the day. We get caught up in the bs of politics and petty arguments of whose person the best. Life is much deeper than that. When you close a door and God opens the next you never know what your gonna get or how you are gonna act but when he does enter in knowing he has a purpose for you. A couple verses to part. Be still and know that I God. God was all over that mountain. Jesus was a marching and the hands were making short work, the Holy Spirit moving and healing where only the Spirit can. Prepare yourself. When God comes knocking what will you do. Come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Hey all I will take any winter coats up you have tomorrow and next week. David.
