JACKSON, MI – I like being a servant of the Lord. Being a Chaplain, serving through the Michigan Disaster Relief (DR), just adds to the glory that I get to give back to God. Most often we are working with desperate people that have lost their homes and everything in it. It is moving when you go to their door and tell them you’ve come as a volunteer to help; to be God’s hands and feet.
As a DR Chaplain, my main task is to spend time with the homeowner. I work to build trust and encouragement. I help them go through precious items that have been ruined by flood waters, tornados or other natural disasters. Item by item we go through pictures and Christmas boxes, especially Christmas decorations, as they lead to open doors for sharing the Gospel of Christ.
Over the course of the day, I pray with homeowners about the unimaginable difficulty they are enduring. As the owner watches the DR team clearing the house, the tears flow down their already tear stained faces. It is my joy to take their troubles to God and seek wisdom and strength these people. We leave the homeowner, who has been devastated physically and emotionally, with a cleared-out home and a copy of Eternal Hope, God’s Word. A hard day’s work makes for eternal differences in many of their lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeannie Dolson, Disaster Relief volunteer since 2005. She lives in Jackson, MI and attends Grace Baptist Church.