Friday, August 5, 2011

A Hero Born

Tornado’s blew though my neighboring state of Alabama on Wednesday April 27th causing heartbreaking loss of life and wide spread devastation to many neighborhoods.

As the state begins to pick up the pieces and rebuild their neighborhoods, something inspiring happens. Out of all the tragedy, heroes are born. People who dig in and become leaders of the rebuilding process. Not just the rebuilding of structures and homes, but the process of ministering to the people, the building back up of hope in a time that can seem dark and hopeless. Rebuilding the spirits of people, and reaching out with love.
One such hero is Melvin Allen. Melvin is a youth director at Harvest Youth Club. My husband came in contact with Mr. Allen while volunteering with a group of his co-workers for a day of clean up. My husband described Melvin Allen as, "the real deal". The kind of man you make a movie about and actor Denzel Washington would play the role. A fact that has probably never crossed the mind of the charismatic youth director from Alabama, as he digs into the lives of the people around him without hesitation wielding only a heart to serve and help those in need. There were about 103 homes in Melvin’s neighborhood and only about a dozen are considered liveable in Harvest, Alabama. Melvin Allen gets the fact that loving on people comes first. In this case loving on people in-tells helping them rebuild their homes, cleaning up their streets, providing them with basic supplies. Hard work is involved, but the task is not too great. It's worth every bit of time, sweat, and tears that it costs as long as it will rebuild hope and chase away despair. Considering the devastation that has occurred, ministering into the lives of these people takes a big love, a Jesus kind of love.
Rebuilding homes is an emotional process of healing lives, restoring roots, and pouring an unmeasurable amount of love into the people living in these communities. Through all of this arises the opportunity to show just what Christian love is supposed to look like... giving without the need of recognition or compensation. We are carrying out Christ's work, as his vessels, allowing him to love on others through us. That is just what Melvin Allen and his Harvest Youth Club team are achieving on the fields of the aftermath of these unfortunate tornado's. Melvin is being a light of hope and love in his community.
To find out how you can help visit http://www.harvestyouthclub.com/
Even though news coverage may have stopped, these people still need your help.

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