Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - Lost

Photo Hunt 27: Lost

Theme: Lost | Join the Photo Hunt | View Blogroll | Visit participants.



Lost - No longer in the possession, care, or control of someone or something...

It was one year ago on October 11, 2005 when I traveled to Sulphur, Lousiana for a week to lend a hand with the TN Baptist Disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. I was hoping to blog from there and send back some photos, but there wasn't an internet connection to be found, let alone electricity.

What I found instead were people who lost everything... from 100 extravagant homes on the Gulf washed out to sea at once to a modest single mom's apartment totally drenched.

With no electricity to wash clothes or run refrigerators, we had long days working from 5 am to 7 pm as part of the team that prepared upwards of 5,000 hot meals a day to distribute via the Red Cross and our base of operations. Another team went out with chainsaws clearing downed trees.

We who are consumer focused (and myself included) tend to look at the material things that are lost. We're left counting on insurance or the kindness of strangers to cover our losses in such devastation. Yet, we all are needing assurance that everything will be OK.



While walking the Sulphur neighborhood, we came upon this single mom and her daughter living in the apartment pictured above.



They were absolutely precious. While having lost all their possessions, except what could pack in the trunk of their car to start a new life, they never lost their joy for life. Rather, they were profusely thanking God for sparing their lives.

That week in Louisiana completely changed my whole theology of what it means to serve.

See a need? Go fill it. Don't wait for permission for a committee to decide whether the situation determines a "Yes" or "No" or worse, a "Maybe" response.

Lost - No longer in the possession, care, or control of someone or something... I got it. That week, I lost quite a bit of self-centerness through generous self-giving of time, talent and a open heart.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36

My Flickr set from the visit to Cameron, LA here

Paul & Debbie's flooded home

Base Camp at Sulphur, LA

Thanks for stopping by... (and letting me share)

xxx

I just joined the Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt hosted by Tn Chick. You too can play: Join the Photo Hunt There's a theme every Saturday, so I look forward to visiting the community of participants.