H7 Story: The Hands and Feet of Jesus
The Hands & Feet of Jesus
By: Wendi Kitsteiner
I don’t think anyone would find it very necessary to go over what happened in our region just two weeks ago. (How can it be only two weeks ago?) In summary: we faced the greatest natural disaster this region has seen in our lifetime. If we weren’t impacted, we knew someone who was. No doubt every single one of us knew someone whose life was irrevocably changed forever.
Spending time discussing the disaster doesn’t seem like anything any of us feel like doing. However, I was asked to take a moment to highlight how clearly our family was gifted with the opportunity to see the Lord move in the wake of the monumental flooding that took our section of the state by storm.
To make a very long story short, our dear friend Meredith Shrader (a Physician’s Assistant) and John, decided to drive down to Asheville to see if they could help with some of the body recovery that they heard was going on. But God had other plans. By the time they left Asheville a few hours later, they had been asked to start a clinic. They had even been handed the keys to a building that they could use.
My husband, John, is the Medical Director of the emergency department here in Greeneville. After the storm hit, their team went into crisis management mode as, without water, they would not be able to keep the hospital open. The emergency department would continue to operate on a very limited basis until water could be restored.
John and Meredith realized that the medical needs of Greene County had been met, so together they felt called to reach out to our neighbors over the mountain where there were more active medical needs.
It truly became, as John described it, like God was shining a light on the next spot he and Meredith and their growing team needed to step as they individually made each step. Here are just a few examples of how God helped orchestrate steps before they could even step:
Honestly, I could go on and on with the miracles and things that the Lord has taken care of. But here is what I have learned. God doesn’t need anyone to do something huge He simply needs you to do the little piece of the pie that he is asking YOU to do. “I’m seeing this picture in my head,” my husband John explained in a video posted to Facebook. “I’m picturing this huge brick wall. And every brick is sitting there saying I wish I could be a bigger brick. I wish I could do something bigger. And the thing is, individually, maybe we aren’t doing as much as we feel like we could. But when you put all of us together, it turns into this building that is so much bigger than any of us!
“You don’t have to be amazingly special or capable to do this. You just have to be willing and present and God will facilitate around your weaknesses.”
Stay tuned for a story on how God has been working in Greeneville next week as we look at the help our church has been giving to Longview Ranch!
Spending time discussing the disaster doesn’t seem like anything any of us feel like doing. However, I was asked to take a moment to highlight how clearly our family was gifted with the opportunity to see the Lord move in the wake of the monumental flooding that took our section of the state by storm.
To make a very long story short, our dear friend Meredith Shrader (a Physician’s Assistant) and John, decided to drive down to Asheville to see if they could help with some of the body recovery that they heard was going on. But God had other plans. By the time they left Asheville a few hours later, they had been asked to start a clinic. They had even been handed the keys to a building that they could use.
My husband, John, is the Medical Director of the emergency department here in Greeneville. After the storm hit, their team went into crisis management mode as, without water, they would not be able to keep the hospital open. The emergency department would continue to operate on a very limited basis until water could be restored.
John and Meredith realized that the medical needs of Greene County had been met, so together they felt called to reach out to our neighbors over the mountain where there were more active medical needs.
It truly became, as John described it, like God was shining a light on the next spot he and Meredith and their growing team needed to step as they individually made each step. Here are just a few examples of how God helped orchestrate steps before they could even step:
- On Wednesday morning, before John and Meredith decided to go to Asheville, John wrote a Facebook post about the weather that surprisingly went viral. This helped open the door to receive help from many people who may not have ordinarily heard about our cause.
- Someone stepped up to help us secure and pay to get port-a-potties at the facility. And this was after the companies told us there was no way they could get facilities there as quickly as we were asking.
- John and Meredith were quickly granted temporary medical licenses to be able to treat in North Carolina for this disaster.
- Ballad Health agreed to provide a myriad of supplies we would need to run the Clinic. And the Pharmacy at Greeneville Community Hospital East gave us nearly all the medical supplies we required.
- We had the amazing Richard Steele (father-in-law to FCC Pastor David Bowlin who himself pastors Meadowcreek Presbyterian Church) doing security in the building the first three days. However, we knew he would need a reprieve. Within an hour of realizing the need, our friend Craig Dunham (FCC) was able to work with the Sheriff’s Department in helping us secure 24-7 security after the department initially told us they couldn’t do this.
- Each time we realized we had a need outside of our personal wheelhouses, someone would step up to help. Brooks Gray (Arrowhead) put together a website. Blair Berry (Disciples’ Point) stepped up to help with printing needs and medical help. And that’s just two of many people.
- A woman from Australia, Katie Johns contacted me. She works for a state government disaster agency on the other side of the world but heard about what we were doing and wanted to help us and learn from us. Her advice has been invaluable and has offered precious encouragement to us on the backside.
- Dave Stotts (host of the Christian History documentary show Drive-Thru History) got in touch with us wanting to do a show on the forgotten people of Appalachia. (Stay tuned!)
- We put up an Amazon list and every item was purchased by the end of the day!
- We received over $25,000 in donations (and money is still coming in!)
- The building they put us in had a pharmacy directly across the street. Seriously!
Honestly, I could go on and on with the miracles and things that the Lord has taken care of. But here is what I have learned. God doesn’t need anyone to do something huge He simply needs you to do the little piece of the pie that he is asking YOU to do. “I’m seeing this picture in my head,” my husband John explained in a video posted to Facebook. “I’m picturing this huge brick wall. And every brick is sitting there saying I wish I could be a bigger brick. I wish I could do something bigger. And the thing is, individually, maybe we aren’t doing as much as we feel like we could. But when you put all of us together, it turns into this building that is so much bigger than any of us!
“You don’t have to be amazingly special or capable to do this. You just have to be willing and present and God will facilitate around your weaknesses.”
Stay tuned for a story on how God has been working in Greeneville next week as we look at the help our church has been giving to Longview Ranch!
Posted in Tell the Story