Tugging at my heartstrings

Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me...Matthew 25:40

I don’t usually post about something two times in a row, but this is something that sparks a lot of passion in me. I didn’t get many responses yesterday, but I don’t care- I will continue to try and do my part to make people aware of the situation in West Virginia. Thank you to those of you who did respond- it makes it worth my while if even one or two respond.

This is a situation that really tugs at my heart. As I read the updates and watched footage last night, I could not keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks. Especially when I watched the family of miner Benny Willingham, a 62 year old man who had worked in the mine for 30 years and was 5 weeks from retirement. Five weeks- can you even imagine the pain they must feel? When Matt Lauer asked Benny’s daughter how her mother is holding up she told him “she’s not.” How utterly devastating. But, his daughter said that Benny knew the dangers of the mine, knew that any moment might be his last, and, fortunately, he also had told his family that if the Lord came to get him he was ready. Thankfully, amid the devastation they must feel, at least they have Benny’s faith to cling to.

The stories of the miners are many. They were family men- brothers, sons, fathers, uncles, nephews. They were friends, believers in God. And yet, outside of the state of West Virginia, in a few weeks their stories will be all but forgotten. Swept under the rug or thrown out with last week’s trash. Did anybody truly remember the Sago mine explosion that happened in 2006, that killed 12 people, until it was mentioned in the context of this explosion? Probably not anybody that was not directly affected.

And as life moves on for the rest of us, so it will for those in West Virginia. The mines will continue to operate, and many men will go to work each day, aware of the risks, but with no other options. As one miner said, “That’s what you get when you live in this area because that’s all we have.” So, it will continue in West Virginia because coal mining pays the bills. It’s a way of life. Every day they’ll put on their boots and enter the mines knowing that they may never return to the surface alive. But, as I mentioned yesterday, the alternative- a mine closing- is much worse. When this happens the people who lose their jobs are thrown into the depths of poverty, in need of the help of people like you and like me.

But, many don’t know the need of the people in West Virginia. They’re certainly not a group of people that would ask for help. But, the need is there. It’s a chance for all of us to make a difference in our own country. As WEG told me, it’s not romantic to people to help others in West Virginia- not like going to an African village or Afghanistan or South America. If you say you took a mission trip to West Virginia, people may applaud you, but not like they do if you say you went to Uganda (just using this as an example). But, to me, it’s not about the applause, and it doesn’t make foreign missions any more important than those in the United States. It’s about a group of people not far from my home in South Carolina that truly need us. So, again today, I ask you to pray for these people, and, if you feel a real tug like I do, there are ways you can help. Just ask me.