We came across this powerful story from the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl that stopped us in our tracks. Jim “Hagar” Herrel, a volunteer with Team Rubicon, shared his reflections after helping hurricane victims in the sweltering Texas heat. His account reminded us of something beautiful: when disaster strikes, ordinary people become extraordinary servants.
Jim’s story was about his sixth deployment in just one year, and it sparked something deep within us. Here was a man who could have stayed comfortable at home, yet chose to wade through mud, haul debris in 100-degree heat, and work alongside strangers to help people he’d never met.
What Happened In Texas
Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Houston as a Category 1 storm in July, leaving thousands without power and many homes damaged by fallen trees. Team Rubicon, a disaster relief organization, deployed volunteers like Jim to help with cleanup efforts.
The work was grueling. Volunteers used chainsaws to clear massive trees blocking access to homes. They hauled debris hundreds of yards through muddy paths in oppressive heat. When torrential rain turned the work sites into swamps, they kept going.
Jim’s team included people from all walks of life. A retired doctor worked alongside a firefighter. An Army medic fresh out of his first year of medical school hauled debris next to a retired school principal. One saw team had an average age of 71 years old.
They heard heartbreaking stories each evening. An 85-year-old widow living in her car because she couldn’t access her storm-damaged home. Families with the fewest resources facing the biggest challenges in recovery.
Yet every morning, these volunteers showed up again. Tired bodies, willing hearts.
What We Learned From Their Example
Watching Jim’s story unfold revealed something profound about the human spirit and God’s design for community. These volunteers embodied what scripture teaches about laying down our lives for others.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15:13
Jim asked himself a question that struck us deeply: “What drives people to come out in the direst work conditions, give of themselves tirelessly?” His answer was simple yet profound. These people are “built to serve.”
We see God’s fingerprints all over this story. When communities face their darkest hours, He doesn’t always send angels from heaven. Sometimes He sends retired doctors willing to get muddy. He sends grandparents who grab chainsaws. He sends teachers who trade lesson plans for debris sleds.
How This Strengthens Our Faith
Jim’s reflection reminded us that service isn’t about our comfort or convenience. It’s about responding to need with willing hands and open hearts. These volunteers didn’t wait for perfect conditions or easy assignments. They saw suffering and moved toward it.
This mirrors how Christ approached human need. He didn’t wait for convenient moments to heal the sick or feed the hungry. He met people right where they were, in their mess and their pain.
The diversity of Jim’s team also speaks to something beautiful about God’s kingdom. Different backgrounds, ages, and professions united by a common purpose. A retired CEO working beside a flight medic. A teacher hauling debris with a project engineer.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
1 Corinthians 12:12
What This Reveals About Purpose
Jim’s story challenges us to examine our own calling to serve. These volunteers didn’t have special training in disaster response when they started. They simply had hearts willing to help and hands ready to work.
The 71-year-old saw team members especially moved us. At an age when many people focus on comfort and rest, they chose service and sacrifice. Their example reminds us that our capacity to serve others doesn’t diminish with age. Sometimes it grows stronger.
Lessons From The Storm
Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath became a classroom for character. When the rain turned work sites into mud pits, nobody complained or backed down. They kept going “like the Energizer bunny,” as Jim put it.
This perseverance in difficult circumstances reflects the kind of endurance that builds both character and community. Hard work shared becomes lighter work. Difficult conditions faced together become opportunities for growth.
The evening debriefs Jim described also touched our hearts. Each night, teams shared stories of the people they’d helped. These weren’t just work reports. They were testimonies of human connection and divine appointments.
When We’re Built To Serve
Jim concluded that service is “part of our DNA” for people like his teammates. We believe this goes even deeper than genetics. It’s part of how God created us to reflect His heart for others.
When we serve sacrificially, we taste what it means to be made in God’s image. When we put others’ needs before our own comfort, we experience the joy that comes from aligning with our created purpose.
The Team Rubicon volunteers didn’t just clear debris. They cleared paths for hope. They didn’t just remove fallen trees. They restored dignity to families in crisis.
Hope After The Storm
Jim’s story reminds us that even in disaster’s wake, God is working. He works through willing hands and compassionate hearts. He transforms ordinary people into instruments of His grace.
The next time storms come to our communities – literal or metaphorical – may we remember these volunteers. May we ask ourselves not “What’s in it for me?” but “How can I help?” May we discover that we too are built to serve.
This article was inspired by Jim “Hagar” Herrel’s reflection originally published at Team Rubicon USA.
