Help for Hail, or Hell

Our backyard

What started as a quiet, uneventful, family Friday night, quickly turned into a loud, astonishing memorable night with hail dumping from the sky.  It started as "pings" on our windows, but quickly escalated into a loud roar as quarter-sized hail pelted our house, yard, fence, and anything else in its way.

What next?

The girls dashed outside to pick up the pieces of hail.  The camera captured pictures to remember.  Texts with pics sent to amaze family and friends.

The next day, clean up began. Trash cans filled with tree limbs, leaves, and newly planted flowers lined the streets. Broken yard decorations discarded, too.   

What amazed me, roofers prowled the neighborhood for new customers.  The entrance to our housing addition plastered with signs of companies to call for help.

My next door neighbor had a roofer friend over to look as his roof.  He came to our house to give us a free inspection.  Roof totaled.

Two days later, as I walked the streets looking at the debris I noticed something interesting.  Many roofing companies staked their claims, leaving their yard signs behind.  I noticed many houses shared the same company sign.  Why?  They shared their help with their neighbors (like mine did). 

And then God asked me some application questions.  Have you shared the best help your neighbors could ever receive?  Me.  Help, not for their physical belongings, but for their eternal, spiritual life?  Do they understand that you needed help for your sin because you couldn't pay for it yourself or earn your way to heaven?  Do they know I love them so much I provided a way to forgive their sin, too?  Do they know who has "staked" your life? That you belong to Me because you believe Jesus died for your sin?  Will you share?  Or, will you just give temporary help?  Help for hail, or hell?