Tag: God is good

Light in the Valley

On By T.J. AllenIn Christian Living, Poetry, Spiritual RenewalLeave a comment
A poem inspired by the last few years of medical issues of my family and friends
When the deep, dark valley
Seems to never end. 
When you feel all alone
Without a companion or a friend. 
When the road ahead seems
to dip, not rise at each bend. 
When the sky reaching walls 
seem to be closing in.

When the darkest night seems 
To engulf your soul.
When the many punches of life
Have taken a toll. 
When raw emotions shake you
With violent thunder roll. 
When just surviving each hour
is your greatest goal. 

When you feel beat down
From the stormy rain. 
When it's almost too much
To see through the pain. 
When each day seems a loss
With very little gain. 
When your very existence 
is something that you disdain. 

Living life can be raw, embrace, 
don't fear it. 
There's a whisper in the storm, 
Can you hear it? 
There's a light in the dark. 
Move. Draw near it.     
It's the promises of God
and His Spirit.

God is with you child
Why do you dread?
He has appointed this time
Lift up your head. 
He's not surprised by this
Rocky road you tread.
Remember His promises 
Remember what He said. 

He's the sunlight breaking
Through the cloudy sky. 
He's the constant help
Always by your side. 
The One who catches the
Tears that you cry. 
He's the One who knows 
The reasons why. 

The truth may seem simple
It may seem crass. 
Things don't come to stay
They come to pass. 
Don't focus on the storms. 
They don't last. 
Focus on the Eternal Light
That illuminates your path.

The Worst of Man, the Best of Man

On By T.J. AllenIn Christian Living, Everyday People, Uncategorized2 Comments

With Hurricane Michael slamming into and ripping apart parts of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, there were plenty of opportunities. Opportunities for mankind to sink low and take advantage of his fellow man and for mankind to rise up and help. Stories abound of both.

A drunk driver swerved off the road and killed three linemen in Chipley, Florida. The National Guard was stationed in just about every town and hamlet to ward off vandalism and thievery. I saw a mobile vendor set up shop in Greenwood, Florida and sell food at prices one wouldn’t be asked to pay at fairs or amusement parks. I saw roofing contractors inflating the estimates on work so the owner could get more money. These are just a few examples of what I know. We could fill pages with how people were being scammed. However…

I saw more good than bad. Most of the people I encountered put their own needs on a back burner to help those around them. Many of them with damage to their own property felt “it can wait” and “others have it worse than we do.” These people formed a small army within their communities, working tirelessly helping others.

Friendship Baptist Church in Malone, Florida happened to be on the same electrical leg as the local prison, so when power was restored to the correctional facility the church also got power. Even before they received power, they opened their doors to be a major supplies distribution center to Malone and the surrounding areas. Men would load up supplies in their trucks and deliver goods to people out in rural areas who had no power and subsequently, no water. It complicated matters when vehicles were under trees or blocked in by trees covering driveways. The men, in their trucks, went around the debris to reach the people in need.

For several days, Friendship would feed anyone who came to their fellowship hall, including National Guard, linemen, first responders, and folks who hadn’t had a hot meal in days. When the area around Malone received power, the supplies were shipped to Marianna to help the people there.

Our little country church reached deep and out to those around us in southeast Alabama and even into Florida. A local gas station donated a pallet of water. We sent two small groups to Florida with supplies. Each time we discovered needs, we sent out the word, and the needs were met. We opened our pastorium to a displaced minister and his family from Florida until they could make other arrangements.

When in Florida, we made friends with an associate pastor and his family from Marianna who had been working so much to help their community that they had hardly touched their own yard. It was littered with huge oaks the wind had toppled. They had to drive on their lawn because their driveway was blocked. In short, with their help, we cleared out the driveway of the trees and limbs. We took a blower to it for good measure.

I personally reached out to the company where I work, both corporately and locally. The response was tremendous. Locally, my fellow workers gave supplies to our church to distribute in Florida. Supplies were shipped to us from Kansas, other parts of Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and even from colleagues in North Carolina who had just gone through Hurricane Florence.

I am not recounting any of this to sound our horn. I am offering these few stories as a reminder of the goodness of God that still resides in our land and in our neighbors. The stories are endless of the sacrifice whole communities and individuals have made. I am only privy to these. They are a testimony to the good that still exists and the good that still can be done in the world. God is good and he continues to work through human hands to heal human hurts even in the darkest of times.