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Greetings!
Throughout scripture, there are stories of God’s work on the margins. Jesus described the realm of God as being good news for the poor, the sick, the widowed, the imprisoned, the stranger, the children and childlike, and the outcasts. In other words, the realm of God is where the marginalized of our society are brought back into the folds of the community. I have discovered that God’s nature is revealed best in the margins where we might least expect it.
In June 2016, strong storms dumped between eight and ten inches of rain on parts of central and southeastern West Virginia. In all, 23 people were killed in the flash flooding that followed the rain. MDS volunteers responded immediately to clean out many of the flooded homes and begin the rebuilding process in many of the marginal communities.
Two years later I went back (in the hollers!) to one of the small towns, Rainelle, where I attended a dedication for the home of Wayne and Priscilla Woodrum and their children. Their new, strong, 3-bedroom house is now elevated far above the flood danger zone.
After a joyful dedication ceremony, Wayne took me on a tour of his new home, and the tour culminated with a view from the back deck of their home of the beautiful mountain vista. The joy that exuded from that event was unforgettable. They are now home. It was a long four years waiting to get back home ever since they had to flee on a moment’s notice from the flood waters that destroyed almost everything they owned.
Perhaps we need to create spaces in our time and allow God to use us in unexpected ways during our day. Maybe it is taking a moment to pray for someone who is carrying a heavy burden. Or perhaps having time for coffee with a person who needs a listening ear. Or calling MDS and signing up to volunteer – and encounter God and God’s people in the margins.
It will change your life.
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