When I come through Tuscaloosa, there are a few families that are on my must see list. The Sandras family is one of them. Johnny and Kim have welcomed me into the family with all sorts of gigantic feasts and laugh filled nights. Their kids, John and Kelly are just a couple of years apart and can keep up with their parents’ humor. John is at the incredible age we all know and love as a middle schooler and Kelly is right behind him. I’ve loved getting to know this family more with each visit I have back home and last night’s was one of my favorite because it centered around sushi. Well I guess there was more to it than that.
The main reason I wanted to write about this family was not just because of our dinner conversation, but because God has given them an incredible testimony and it continues to impact their lives today. The Sandras are originally from New Orleans and were there when Katrina hit. Before the hurricane, they were doing pretty well as a family, but when the storm hit, everyone was all of a sudden in the same financial bracket with nothing left. Over the next several months, Johnny and Kim had to stand on their faith and take some huge steps out of their home town and try to rebuild a life with young kids.
As the water has settled, God provided for this family. After losing everything, Kim said the one thing she wanted was to be able to just sit around the family table and have a meal again. It seemed like a long shot. It seemed like that until a kitchen table showed up, donated by a family not long after she prayed that prayer. As if that weren’t enough, another gift from a totally unrelated donor came through in the form of four chairs. On top of all of that, the chairs matched the table and are still the center of the Sandras home today. No amount of money could buy that dining room set for them and it can never be replaced.
Being in Tuscaloosa, the Sandras have been able to pick back up. However, after their experience, they can never be the same. When the flood hit Nashville several months ago, Kelly was the first one to say, “Mom, we need to go help.” This family has not just been moved to be generous, their lives have been radically changed by generosity. As Johnny handed me another donation, he jokingly said that he couldn’t give money away fast enough and was truly learning he couldn’t out give God (this doesn’t mean hit him up for donations, he’s my cash cow). I know that giving freely will never be the easiest thing this side of heaven, but this family has been founded on it and makes it a priority.
As I sat with this couple and told them my stories from the last couple of months and my dreams for the ones to come, I just felt so invested in. Not just financially, but I felt that they were ready to run with me. I’m seeing this more and more as I talk to people and this mix of generosity and willingness to serve is just overflowing in people. God is stirring hearts and opening doors and I can’t wait to see who runs through them…
