Hurricane Laura has brought such devastation to our community. Recovery will be a long and challenging road.
I want to share with you about a phone call that I received a few days ago from a United Methodist pastor in Panama City, Florida. He is the pastor of Lynn Haven United Methodist Church, which was greatly impacted by Hurricane Michael in 2018.
His name is Rev. Craig Carter. I did not previously know Craig, but we are both graduates of Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. He called me to show his support and to offer some suggestions, having recently walked down the same road that we are currently on.
His main suggestion was . . . patience. He reminded me, “Weldon, you are going to want something done tomorrow or next week, but it’s not going happen that soon.” He also offered some excellent suggestions of things to not do during this time.
Craig then offered to pray for me over the phone. He prayed for me and the church I serve. He prayed for our community and our leaders. When he was finished, I had tears in my eyes. The phone call was just the thing I needed. Some words of wisdom. Some needed encouragement. And a word of prayer.
Thank you, Rev. Carter, for making that phone call to a fellow pastor. I can’t begin to tell you all that it meant to me.
Today, in the midst of challenges and struggles, let’s reach out to someone and lift that person up in the name of Christ.