“KATRINA LAND”
MERRY WEDNESDAY –BY PARRIS BAILEY
“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Ps.126:1-6
I don’t know why but when the anniversary of Katrina rolled around I found myself thinking of everything that happened. I also found myself traveling the same route when we evacuated up to my mother’s house in North Carolina. I am sure for the most of us, our feelings are bittersweet. Paul’s says, “sorrowful yet rejoicing”. We saw the provision of God but the experience was a bit painful!
Last year also at this same time Hurricane Isaac hit our city. We didn’t evacuate and though a small storm compared to Katrina it camped out over the city and gave our church a beating of one million dollars in damage. All of this has made me look back and contemplate how “God works all things together for the good.” Katrina took us up all the way to Pittsburgh to drop off our youngest child to finish her 12th grade with our eldest son. I wasn’t a happy camper about this decision at all. Our home was damaged and I just couldn’t drag my child back to NOLA as Frank and I would literally jump from home to home the next 6 weeks. While running with the dogs up there, I found myself crying out and He began to speak to me about “children are lent of The Lord” and He wanted to “show me His glory”. I leaving my senior, another son went to New York and my 2nd son and his family to Virginia. Frank went running that day worried about staff and payroll. While praying He begin to see hundreds of checks that we gave to the needy, missionaries and other charities over the years that he heard The Lord say “as you sowed all those years to others, the time of reaping will begin”. I knew the blessing comes in obedience so back to NOLA we went.
The rest is history, Victory shined as a light feeding thousands and giving away food for years. We had trailers on our back property for families and hosted hundreds of responders. The purchase of the Broad St Mission was bought from Katrina donations around the world, turning it into a soup kitchen for years then four years ago Mary’s Song Restoration Center was birthed.
Isaac hit and basically finished off what Katrina had started on our sanctuary on Airline. One year later we find ourselves sitting in a beautiful remodeled building that most likely we could have never afforded.
I am not sure what you may be facing, but I pray He gives you grace to jump over your troop and leap over your wall. You probably will jump right into the arms of God.