6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
In parts of South Georgia and the Carolinas, the effects of Tropical Storm Debby are still being felt, with the powerful storm dumping enormous amounts of rain over a relatively short period of time. As late as last week, there were still areas that were experiencing flooding.
Even as far inland as Statesboro, GA, home of Georgia Southern University, a city perhaps an hour and a half from the coast, rainfall totals exceeded 12 inches and a local pastor experienced flood damage to his home, according to a Baptist Press article published on The Christian Index website. It stated:
As rainfall totals passed 12 inches, saturated ground led to fallen trees, dams giving way and more than 100 damaged roads in Bulloch County, Georgia, from Tropical Storm Debby.The article notes that, "Wiggins has heard stories from other parts of the county of rainfall as high as 18 inches in 48 hours."
Pastor Todd Wiggins of Southbridge Community Church was among those affected, as floodwaters crept into his home. The flooring in the master bedroom and closet will have to be replaced. The roof and exterior walls received damage as well. But he knows it could have been worse.
“We were blessed, because there were people who lost their whole home,” he said. “Others had damage up to 4 feet high, so in the grand scope, it’s not too bad.”
But, Wiggins and his church were mobilized to help the community. Already, plans were in place to minister to students moving into Georgia Southern, and Southbridge served as the base of operations for the Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief.
The article states:
At least one church member had significant home damage.
“It was right next to Mill Creek and when it overflowed, he said it got maybe four feet high,” said Wiggins. “We had a dump trailer dropped off at his house today and have a team there ripping out today and tomorrow to help him get recovered.”
Southbridge is a church that was planted by First Baptist of Statesboro 12 years ago, according to the article, and was originally pastored by its student minister. Wiggins took the reins around the start of the COVID pandemic. The article reports:
Just prior to his arrival, the aging congregation of Gracewood Baptist Church had voted to give its facilities to Southbridge.
“They saw the church was reaching the community, the elders were leading and teaching and what God was doing at Southbridge. They were excited our church was reaching college students and the Georgia Southern campus,” said Wiggins. “It was selfless and sacrificial for them to do what they did.”
Selfless is certainly a word to describe the acts of Todd Wiggins in the aftermath of Debby. And, to those who serve in disaster situations, laying down their lives and livelihoods to go to areas where they are needed. The pastor's home was damaged, but that did not deter him from helping. It's a reminder that even though we may experience difficulty in our lives, that should not preclude us from selflessly reaching out to others. In fact, it's been said that serving others is a great way to get our eyes off ourselves and our own trials.
We should not allow pity to set in to the extent that we become isolated and self-centered. It's not unnatural to become discouraged in our lives, but we may even experience a lift, a touch of encouragement, by seeing God use us to reach out in difficult situations. Despair can make us feel like the walls are closing in on us, but we can counter those emotions by looking beyond those walls and seeing where the Lord might be directing us to serve.
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