His name is Jim McIngvale, but he is better known as “Mattress Mack.” He’s the owner of a chain of furniture stores in Houston, TX, called Gallery Furniture. He has been seen on television through the years in some of his zany commercials, but in the last few days he’s been in the news for a different reason.

When McIngvale saw the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, he was determined to help. Last Sunday, Mattress Mack announced on social media that two of his stores would be open, not for business, but to provide shelter and food for those in need.

McIngvale opened up the 100,000 square foot showroom of the Gallery Furniture store just outside Houston and invited evacuees to come in for refuge. About 400 evacuees have accepted McIngvale’s invitation and are resting comfortably on brand new sofas and beds. They are also enjoying hot meals and access to portable showers, all due to McIngvale’s generosity.

McIngvale and his team drove some of their delivery trucks to make rescues. “All day Sunday we went around rescuing people out of high water stranded on overpasses. We brought about 200 people into the store that way,” McIngvale says.

Rescuers have also been given respite at McIngvale’s stores. During one report of the furniture-store-turned-shelter, 60 National Guard troops were sleeping soundly in the mattress room. “(The troops) are sleeping on the best Tempur-Pedic mattresses that are on the market,” store employee Dave Marchione says. “And I’ll tell you what – those are some happy soldiers.”

“For him to open his door and [say], ‘If you’re affected by the flood, come in.’ And I mean you had people wet; you had people dirty… who does that?” said Harvey evacuee Roberta Lee. “You have to see it to believe it; it’s real. I mean he has a heart of gold.”

Mattress Mack’s generosity from his “heart of gold” illustrates the heart of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.

To those who are ravaged by sin (and that includes ALL of us, Romans 3:23), Jesus offers “the Great Invitation”: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30.

His invitation and the rest that He provides are expressions of the Grace of God. Because of His great love for us, God gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that through Him we may rescued and given eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Jesus “gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4 NIV).

Accept His offer of salvation and eternal life. Place your faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from your sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Then, continue to walk in the light of His Word, for as we do so, God has promised to continue to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Someone has defined GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. It’s “beyond generous” – an offer that seems too good to be true, but it’s real! And it’s available, if only you will accept His offer on His terms.     Won’t YOU?

-- David A. Sargent          

* Information gleaned from CNN and CBS News.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org