Responding immediately after yesterday’s flooding, groups of Sojourners gathered together to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  Most of the afternoon till late in the evening was spent laboring in flooded basements, removing soaked and ruined possessions of all kinds.  Sojourners used submersible pumps and wet/dry vacs to extract thousands of gallons of water from seven homes around the Germantown campus. We focused first on the homes of Sojourn members and priority was placed on single-head households that received the most damage from the storm.  One home had over four feet of standing water in the basement.

The flood reminded us of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foudation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

We were all confessing how how easy it is at times to place our hope in earthly possessions rather than in Christ.  God used yesterday’s storm to remind us that Christ is the only solid ground upon which we are to place our confidence.

Our hearts go out to those whose only hope is in the possessions they lost yesterday.  Be sure to pray for your neighbors or better still, pray with them.  Lend them a helping hand, sacrifice your time and don’t be afraid to get a little dirty.  You never know how God might use you to lay the solid foundation of Christ in the life of your neighbor.

Sojourn has three submersible pumps for the use of members.  Contact Nathan Ivey at nivey@sojournchurch.com if you need one.