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People vs. Projects?

Tags: Alaska, Canada, SEND North, Story

A group of volunteers had come to help my husband expand our local church building. They were outside running chainsaws and swatting mosquitoes, and I was in the kitchen baking when the marine band radio came to life. “Grampa Steven’s house is flooding!”

I hesitated, then turned off the oven before I grabbed a mop and bucket and ran from the house.

On the way to Grampa Steven’s I met my husband carrying a wet-vac. When we got there we met dozens of other villagers; friends and neighbors who also dropped everything to come to his aid. Some waded in three inches of water, pushing squeegees to force the water out the front door. Others arrived with fans, towels, wet-vacs and willing hearts.

In less than an hour, the crisis was over. A community had responded, Grampa’s house had been emptied and now the fans were blowing and the floor was already drying out.

Once again these Native people reminded us how believers need to be, focused upon people more than projects. The baking may be ruined, the work on the church may be delayed, but a community pulled together to help an elder in need.

And that is how it should, everywhere.