Look Up!
Read: Luke 23:26-38 The people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him. (v. 35) The Sanford Clock had been a focal point of the community for years. Its letters proudly beamed “Welcome to Sanford!” Nothing fancy, but a warm hometown reminder that the residents cared about each other and Sanford deserved its spot on […]
Faith-Filled Acts of Love
Read: Titus 3:1-15 Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need. (v. 14) Bill and Kandis have lived in Midland for 33 years. On May 20th, as thousands of homes were filled with mud and water from the flood, their home remained dry and intact, two […]
Dedication—Even to the End
Read: Ruth 1:7-17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. (v. 17) After embracing and kissing each of her daughters-in-law, Naomi urged them to return to their families of origin. One did, but Ruth refused, instead saying, “Where you die I will die.” Such devotion, such personal dedication and complete abandonment […]
The Red Oak Restaurant
Read: Romans 5:1-9 Endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (v. 4) In a terrifying rush of destruction, the entire town of Sanford quickly became enveloped in a murky swath of contaminated water, debris, upended trees, and twisted metal. In this small community of 859 people, not a single building or home went unscathed. For Melissa […]
Midland’s Mighty Army
Read: 1 Chronicles 12:1-18 Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! (v. 18) In Michigan, homeowners have basements that often serve as a recreational room, spare bedroom, or simply additional storage. When the dams burst, water completely filled this lower-level space or the main living level. Toxic mold from floodwaters can set in within […]
I Will Carry You
Read: Isaiah 46:3-13 I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. (v. 4) Albert and Dorthea, 92 and 93 years old, respectively, had moved into their dream home in the early 1970s. The modest, single-story, three-bedroom house was paid for. They fully intended to care for each other and live out […]
It’s Not My Fault
Read: 1 Samuel 15:13-31 I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me . . . But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen. (vv. 20-21) A series of dams, privately built in the 1920s, were designed to create a series of lakes for homeowners and recreationists in Mid-Michigan. Over the years, ownership […]
Who Am I? Enough
Read: 1 Peter 1:3-25 He . . . was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you. (v. 20) In 2003, the worship band Casting Crowns released a song entitled “Who Am I” in which the writer humbly compares himself to a “flower quickly fading” and a “wave tossed in the ocean.” He laments that […]
When the Dams Burst
Read: Psalm 57 In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. (v. 1) When David wrote these heartfelt words, he was in distress and despair. He was hiding in a cave, fearing for his life. Not long before, he had played music for the king of Israel, […]