Christ is Our Refuge

All year long, we weather the storms of nature and of life. In this edition of our e-newsletter, our staff share how they serve people who might be the victim of a natural disaster like the flooding in Northwest Missouri, or, perhaps they’re the victim of a different kind of trauma in their life. Either way, they’ll show how we help navigate storms by providing emergency assistance, education, employment, or housing. The physical needs within our 27 counties are great. And yet, many people are searching for more. Without faith in Christ, it’s difficult to find refuge from these storms.

In Matthew 8:23-27, the disciples were on a boat with Jesus when a violent storm arose, and they were afraid. They sought Jesus who was sleeping, woke him and cried out, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.

When we focus our eyes on Jesus, the storms of life seem to be easier to tolerate. He asks us to trust him. When we try to handle storms on our own power, life proves more difficult. In Matthew 14:29-33, Peter sees Jesus walking on water and proceeds to get out of the boat and begin walking toward Jesus. Scripture tells us “when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened and beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage saying, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’” When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we can get through anything.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit flood victims displaced in NW Missouri. These people still had a sense of joy and hope amidst the storms. Many had lost everything and had little income to rely on. They had every reason to lose hope, but instead were resilient, joyful and often shared a strong faith in Christ. Over the course of these weeks, I’ve been inspired by our many generous benefactors who have given to help these flood victims.

As we continue to weather the storms both of nature and of life, I ask each of you to keep your eyes focused on Christ. I pray each day for every person who comes to our doors, for our employees who serve them, for our benefactors who financially support us and, for our volunteers who give of their precious time allowing us to broaden our reach. Please enjoy reading through this edition of our enewsletter so you can see the great work being accomplished by our employees in helping to serve and to lift.

Chris Ice