Sydna

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Prior to hurricane Katrina, John and I had become what many people would call “empty nesters.” For John and me it was really a great opportunity to spend more time together and we were excited about the opportunity to grow together. Both of us were working; John was in sales and I was doing marketing for a company that provided care for seniors. We had a good life, a comfortable life, living in a wonderful neighborhood. Then hurricane Katrina came along. We lived about a mile from the lake, so we wouldn’t have been surprised to find some water in our home. But the amount of water and how long it stayed and how much it devastated the city was something we were not prepared for. We were not there when the storm hit. We had left, like most people, taking a few days’ belongings—a pair of blue jeans, some flip flops—just a few things, thinking we’d be back at the end of the week. But when the levees broke the home that we lived in ended up with about eight feet of water in it. And things changed. We were hit pretty hard. We lost all our income – our jobs no longer existed, our rental income from other homes we owned was gone. The idea of just cleaning everything up and rebuilding was just too overwhelming. We’re in our mid fifties and felt like it was just too much for us to do. We felt that moving on was the best plan for us. Then we received a phone call. It was from our pastor, and when he said, “We need you to come back” we heard that as a call from God - that He was asking us to come back and help the city that we loved. We just knew that we needed to do it. We knew that in order for us to move forward, we had to go back and try to help. It hasn’t been easy. I don’t want to paint a picture that it has been easy because there are many tough moments. Even today when you drive down and see someone’s life still on the curb, those are very hard things to process and hard things to see. But when we said “God this is yours. What is your plan for our city, for our lives?” - He gave us the peace and the strength and the joy to come back. And He continues to do that each day. Both John and I now work with a relief organization in New Orleans. To be able to connect volunteers with homeowners needing help - to be that person who delivers this wonderful group from anywhere in the world who have come to help - that’s so healing, not only for us but also for those homeowners. Actually losing our jobs was a good thing. I think if we had not lost our jobs we wouldn’t have had the energy to do what God had planned for us. Right now change is a scary word for people in New Orleans. We’ve had so much change. We just want something that’s familiar. We want that same neighborhood back and we’ll never have that. At the same time, change is exciting – it’s a healthy tension: changing our school systems for the better, changing the way people live in a city that’s being rebuilt and turning our lives toward God; it’s such an incredible opportunity that we all have. It’s just overwhelming to think that the kindness of strangers and God’s love is what’s helping us rebuild this city. And I believe that we have an opportunity here, if we continue to put God in the center of our lives, that we’ll be the city that celebrates the love and hope of Jesus Christ because this is the only city that I know of in the world that can say that God put it back together. No man can accept that credit. It’s just going to be something that God can do and for me that’s just absolutely phenomenal. Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate? Living with hope If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised. Is this the life for you? If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.

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