As soon as H.T. let us know about the situation, our church family went into action. First and foremost, our people have been consistently going to the Lord in prayer. As each update comes in, more people pray for their whole family.
But our church didn’t stop with prayer. Many of you have supplied meals to the family, and feeding five teenagers is no simple task! Other church members helped get the kids to and from school while H.T. was at the hospital. Other church members took the kids to Abilene for a fun day, giving them a chance to take their minds off of the difficult questions facing their family. Still other members hosted the Fillingim kids at their own house so H.T. could be with Josie. Additional members have offered all kinds of other help. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if more people have helped in ways that no one else knows. H.T. has told me that he appreciates this all more than anyone could know.
My heart breaks for the Fillingim family. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to experience what they’re going through. I’ve joined with you all in praying, grieving, and helping as I can. At the same time, my heart swells because of the outpouring of love from our people. This is exactly what a church family is supposed to be. When one hurts, everyone else hurts alongside them and sincerely offers help. I also see the other end of the spectrum each Sunday as we talk about the accomplishments of our church’s kids—we celebrate with each other when something is good. Thank you all for truly living out the call to love one another.