Nehemiam...the caring person Part 1
Nehemiah 1:2 talks of Nehemiah being in the citadel and having visitors come to talk and fellowship with him. Probably after some small talk (possibly not) Nehemiah wants to know what the situation is like in Jerusalem. He wants to have a first hand account of what is taking place. He wants to know about two things: how are the people doing and what kind of condition is Jerusalem in.
I remember going to the gulf coast right after Katrina hit. I had two questions in my mind. How are the people doing and second how much destrustion was there. How bad was it? I had all kinds of mental pictures of what it would look like. In order to know what it was really like I began to talk with others who were "on the ground".
One of the first persons we met upon flying into Mississippi was a pastor in Jackson, MS. We stayed at his house and he shared what he had seen and experienced on his trips to the coastal region. He shared some of the stories of the people he had met. That mental picture became clearer. We got to be a part of a prayer meeting that night and as we heard people praying it became more clear. The situation was critical.
I think as leaders we can follow Nehemiah's example in asking good questions and listening to what people will say to us. Sometimes we are quick to form opinions based on our limited understanding or heresay.
I continue to keep in touch with people on the ground in coastal MS, and AL. I just talked with a pastor who shared that the spiritual climate has dropped back to where it was pre Katrina. People have gone back to what is familiar. He also shared that the population of Bayou La Batre has dropped from 2700 pre Katrina to about 1700 post Katrina. What does this mean?
Many people either lost their homes and have not rebuilt or have become discouraged with lack of jobs and the slowness of rebuilding and have left. The people in these coastal communities continue to struggle to get back on their feet. They can't do it alone. They still need help.
That is also the message that Nehemiah received, the people are in rough shape and their communities remain in shambles. They need help.
I remember going to the gulf coast right after Katrina hit. I had two questions in my mind. How are the people doing and second how much destrustion was there. How bad was it? I had all kinds of mental pictures of what it would look like. In order to know what it was really like I began to talk with others who were "on the ground".
One of the first persons we met upon flying into Mississippi was a pastor in Jackson, MS. We stayed at his house and he shared what he had seen and experienced on his trips to the coastal region. He shared some of the stories of the people he had met. That mental picture became clearer. We got to be a part of a prayer meeting that night and as we heard people praying it became more clear. The situation was critical.
I think as leaders we can follow Nehemiah's example in asking good questions and listening to what people will say to us. Sometimes we are quick to form opinions based on our limited understanding or heresay.
I continue to keep in touch with people on the ground in coastal MS, and AL. I just talked with a pastor who shared that the spiritual climate has dropped back to where it was pre Katrina. People have gone back to what is familiar. He also shared that the population of Bayou La Batre has dropped from 2700 pre Katrina to about 1700 post Katrina. What does this mean?
Many people either lost their homes and have not rebuilt or have become discouraged with lack of jobs and the slowness of rebuilding and have left. The people in these coastal communities continue to struggle to get back on their feet. They can't do it alone. They still need help.
That is also the message that Nehemiah received, the people are in rough shape and their communities remain in shambles. They need help.
posted by s.d.w. at 5:26 AM
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