HER NAME IS RUTH...........

Mark and I receive so many blessings being a part of the Disaster Response Team!! Let me tell you about one such blessing......

Her name is Ruth and she lives by herself. She came into the church building and just looked distressed and started crying. She had heard that we had cleaning supplies that we were giving out. We told her we did and that she was welcome to them. She went on to say how she needed counseling, things in life had just really gotten her down, her house needed work from the hurricane damage....basically just everything was taking it's toll on her.
David Sargent, the minister here at Creekwood Church of Christ in Mobile, agreed to meet with her. The wonderful cooks at Creekwood just happened to be having a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner for some folks from the church here so David told her that he would like to talk with her, but would she stay and have lunch first. She agreed. As we were eating, I asked her what her plans were for Thanksgiving. She started crying again and said that she would probably go and have Thanksgiving with a family she met in a shelter awhile back because her children were all in Georgia. She said she was still hoping for a miracle from God though to be able to make it to Georgia. I asked her a few more questions, such as how she normally gets to Georgia when she goes, she said by bus. I asked her about how much it costs when she goes. She said about $80-$90. round trip. Mark and I felt that spending Thanksgiving with her children might be just what she needed. We told her The Disaster Response Team would like to send her to Georgia to be with family for Thanksgiving. She broke into tears immediately and grabbed me and hugged me. Then all of a sudden she stopped and said "Oh No.......I wasn't saying all that for you to pay my way....I didn't mean for you.....!!" I stopped her and told her that "I" was the one asking her all the questions and that we really wanted to do this for her. She just couldn't believe it, she was so excited! Then she asked if she could work it off....I told her no that this was our gift to her and that this time she was just going to have to let someone else enjoy the blessing of giving. I told her I knew she had plenty of work to do just getting her house back in order. After her session with David, Mark followed her to the bus station to purchase a ticket. When he went to get it they told him it would be $108. She started crying again and said in a desperate tone of voice that the cost must have gone up and that she would somehow come up with the additional money, Mark told her no, it wasn't a problem at all, the team would take care of it and he just wanted to make sure she came back and told him all about her trip. She agreed and wants to start coming to services also. Praise God!! While she was in Georgia, a group of volunteers from Miami, Fl., Alachua, Fl. and Sidney, Ohio tore off her roof and replaced shingles for her.

I know this was a long story but........you've just got to come and experience the blessings!! There are so many more Ruth's out there. So many more people who need a hug, help with their houses, and most important of all....to be shown GOD'S LOVE.