Answering God’s Call

Today, the founder of Wine to Water came to speak in forum, Doc Hendley. He was so amazing and inspiring, I don’t think I could ever convey the message he imparted with me. But the thing I loved about his story is that I could immediately see God’s work in his life. Doc was a senior at NC State, majoring in Communications. He picking Communications, he said, because it had tons of women in it. He had no idea what he was going to do with this degree, so he went home to Boone, North Carolina to see his parents. One night, he woke up with the words “Wine to Water” in his mind over and over. Doc had been working as a bartender in school, and he loved it. He had plenty of knowledge about wine, but none about water. So he sat down at a computer and googled water, and learned about the crazy large amount of people without access to clean drinking water. He learned that more people die from unclean water than from wars. Doc still didn’t understand what “Wine to Water” meant, but he decided he wanted to help these people in need, and came up with the idea for the fundraiser Wine to Water: hosting wine tasting events and using the money to help people improve their drinking water in underdeveloped countries. 

Doc Hendley started out his story by saying he was one of the most average people you’ll ever meet. His whole family has done great things, been NFL, NBA, and MLB players. Valedictorians in school. But Doc was never “great”. He was average, or even below average in school. He had accepted that he was meant to be that way, and was pretty content with he life he assumed he would live. And now, after everything he has done for so many people in the world, he still is humble. He still talks about how most of the work isn’t him, it’s the villagers in the town he visits. He just listens to what they say, and gives them the resources and skills they need to perform the task necessary to help families and people in the areas.

To me, Doc is truly a hero. He is truly a beautiful example of a servant of God. So humble, so willing to do what God needs, so willing to answer God’s call. He wasn’t someone who had been built up his whole life. If anything, he was torn down, looked at as the lesser part of the family. But he still has shown so much hope and help to so many people in need. He heard God’s words, his plan for Doc. And he listened. He answered. 

I honestly don’t even know if Doc is a Christian. But after hearing him tell his story, I don’t understand how he could not be. God’s light is obvious in his life.