Chaplain Michael Glassey estimates he’s responded to 16 or 17 disasters with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, but he still choked back tears as he recalled meeting a homeowner earlier this week in Texas. Michael is one of several chaplains in the Houston area as part of the ministry’s response to historic flooding that inundated the area, swelling creeks and flooding homes.
Michael, along with chaplains Joseph Morrison and Tim Dishong, received a call about a man named Henry* who was struggling following the flooding of his home. The chaplain team made their way to the man’s house, and waited for him to return home on his break from work.
“What I observed was a man who was very distraught, closed-up, kind of hardened,” said Michael. “He had that ‘I don’t know what to do’ look.”
The chaplains began showing Henry the love of Christ, hugging him and encouraging him to tell his story. Piece by piece, the walls came down and the man opened up.
Henry was a single father raising his 18-year-old son (who has special needs and the cognitive development of a three-year-old) alone. Henry shared that floods have hit their home five times, and this time they lost everything, including all of his son’s toys and special amenities needed to assist in his mobility and care.
Henry also shared that his occupation is driving a bus for other special needs children. “The heart of this man is so incredibly huge,” Michael said as he recounted the story.
The impact of so much stress, culminating with the flood, which left their vital possessions in a soggy heap on the curb, was too much for Henry to handle.
“The more the walls came down, the more tears came out,” Michael said. “It was a floodgate of emotion, relief, the burdens being lifted, and he actually felt—I think—the love of God just through some human beings showing the love of Jesus.
“It was a very emotional, incredibly visible sign that the Lord was touching him and gave him the freedom to let it go.”
The encounter was further proof that many people affected by a disaster are already dealing with significant crises or hardships in their lives—“the storm before the storm,” some call it. And it was another example of the impact crisis-trained chaplains can make in the midst of a disaster as they offer a listening ear and open arms.
“It’s not our story. We’re there to hear their story,” Michael said. “They can share their pain, their disbelief, their discomfort and their grief. It’s just a privilege to have ears to listen and to speak as God gives us the honor to speak when we have that place.”
*Name changed to protect privacy.
Keep up with the chaplains by following the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team on Facebook.
