“Can you please come to my home,” the woman on the other end of the phone asked me? It was Saturday and there were already teams of students serving throughout the local area. “Can you tell me what is going on with your home, I asked.” I figured I would get the overview and set an appointment for later that week. She explained, “my roof is leaking, part of my floor caved in, and I do not have power.” I visited her that afternoon.
I pulled up in front of a 1930’s white, wood-frame home with a spacious front porch; typical architecture in historic Tuskegee. The day was cold, gray, and wet making the situation seem even more desperate. Although not raining, there was a thick stream of water and sludge running along the curb. I suspiciously pondered its source.
CW (for her privacy) came out to meet me. A strong woman in her late 40’s she described how she was laid off during COVID-19 and has not been able to get into the unemployment system and finally gave up. She is existing on stimulus relief efforts and help from community action agencies. She represents one of the millions of women who lost their job during C-19 and who has not been able to get unemployment benefits. (Fortune, Feb. 5, 2021)
CW walked me around the back of her house which is built into a hill. This means the roof is fairly high from the ground on the backside. There was a screened, covered walkway, best described as a dogtrot from the kitchen to a laundry room. The roof over the small, screened, walkway from the kitchen to the laundry area was completely flat making it difficult for rainwater to drain. It had leaked extensively onto the floor, so much that the floor between the screened-in kitchen and the laundry room rotted and collapsed. “The roof has been leaking for many years,” as she described a contractor who did not repair it correctly. Unfortunately, he died so she has had no way of holding anyone accountable.
The leaks in the roof spurred these other issues: the electrical wiring has water in it and it sparks from the panel. The utility company cut it off; five years ago. That’s right. CW has not had electricity in her house for five years. Water damage caused all the sheetrock in the kitchen to cave in so her ceiling rafters and roof decking are exposed. As she walked me around the outside of the rest of the house, she showed me her septic cleanout pipe, clogged and overflowing. My suspicions about what was running down the curb confirmed. The city could easily condemn this home. But then, where would CW go?
Despite this desperate situation, CW exemplified sheer grit and resilience. Born on a farm, she grinned widely and proudly described how she knows how to make the best of it and improvise. Fortunately, she has gas heaters and a source of warmth. At night, she uses a lantern for light and a propane cooktop. But, overall, this is a terrible situation. There are a lot of broken parts in this home and a need for deep healing. As I spoke with CW, I also sensed there might be some slight learning disability or mental limitation although I found her highly functional.
When you really think about Jesus, he did two things. He healed and he taught. Oh, yea, he would die on the cross, save humanity from the penalties of sin, resurrect himself and ascend to heaven to be with God the Father, but even in those moments, healing and teaching were still Jesus’ Modes of Operandi. Think of all that Jesus was doing on earth. Moving from place to place, he healed people of sickness, disease, and injury. With his touch, he healed the brokenness in relationships. With these healings, he taught people about God the Father who loved them and how they could love God and others. Many times Jesus’ setting was a synagogue where he was teaching and then he healed someone.
I believe that is our mission as well; to heal and to teach, just like Jesus. I believe that is the unique way ARM engages people. Something is broken in a person’s home and it needs healing. A new roof, a plumbing fixture, a wall or floor repair. It is also healing because we get to bring the community together to help. Relationships are built, friendships formed. Then we share why we are serving with them. We point to a loving Father, to Jesus the Son, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. We teach about the love captured in the scriptures. There are also some highly practical lessons like how to maintain a home after it is repaired and ways we stay connected together.
Healing and teaching. Very simple.
There is no doubt the effects of C-19 and the disruption and damage it has done. The reality of lost income, lost jobs, and not having the funds to make ends meet are real; not to mention sickness and death. But we can still tell a new story. We are agents of healing; healing the broken spaces in a home, healing of the broken spaces in relationships, and letting Jesus patch the holes in our own hearts. We also get to teach; teach about love, friendship, and the power of God captured in his Word. We get to teach others in our communities about the real struggles people are facing, many who are single women, people of color, our elderly, and the obstacles they face accessing needed resources.
A day of serving in our community is about a small sacrifice of time and comfort. Maybe it seems routine or just another option for a Saturday. But for me, it is a time to reflect on how Jesus healed and taught, how he pointed to living and loving as a neighbor and in a small way, going and doing likewise.
Who do you know that needs to experience healing? What are some ways you can teach?
P.S. The estimate to repair this home is approximately $15,000. A person heard about CW’s situation and made a donation of that amount to cover these repairs. We are actively working to get started on her home with community neighbors if you would like to help! We will be getting a tarp on it in the next two weeks. Your gift could help another neighbor like CW!
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