YIKES, Ike! (Part 2)

Hurricane Ike has come and gone and we are well into the aftermath of cleaning up, restoring power and locating gas stations. There are plenty of stories about the fights at gas stations or in hardware stores selling generators to only the first 20 customers in a block-long line. But, be advised that there are other stories that show the generosity and patience of good neighbors. This is certainly a time to come together and be a community that offers help to those who need it. This is a time when the church has a huge opportunity to truly be the hands and feet of Christ. I’ve seen neighbors, who rarely speak to one another, coming out into the streets and checking on the people that usually only receive an occasional wave.

My own yard was full of very large branches and one large tree that fell into my neighbor’s pool. On Sunday morning I arrived home from out-of-town “hunkering down” and stopped just to get a quick look before going on to the church for worship. I was met by a member of our church who had already started working on removing the fallen tree. After our worship service (at the church were there was no power… no electrical power anyway…) I returned home only to find seven people in my yard, nearing the end of the huge task of clearing away every single branch. Though they are members of my church, they were never asked or expected to do this. They chose to do the dirty, sweaty, and back-breaking work of cutting, moving and piling up someone else’s mess. I’m not often speechless, but for several moments, I was on that day.

Nope, I don’t like Ike, but I appreciate the opportunities that Ike brought. Yes, there is hardship in having no power or water, but there are those gems that we find while dealing with these situations. I pray that you will find a way to support one another during this time, whether you are far away and keeping us in prayer, or are here and showing Christ’s love and patience to strangers and neighbors.

YIKES, Ike! (Part 1)

Four days ago, on September 11, residents of the Texas coast (and others along the Gulf Coast) were making up their minds about how to greet hurricane Ike. At that time Ike was nearing the Houston area and, like The Clash’s lyrics, many people were wondering, “Should I stay or should I go?” With a variety of reasons on either side, people began storm preparations. Some people boarded up homes and stocked up on food and water, while others packed up valuables and pets and began the trek out of town. Everyone has their own colorful story of where they “hunkered” down. (After “the” and “and”, the word “hunkered” was the most used word by journalists covering the storm.)

I was out of town during this time, watching 24 hour news coverage. In story after story, we noticed the reporter’s continual repetition of how someone was “hunkering down”, to which we found ourselves giving an automatic response of “hunker down!” Merriam-Webster defines this as settling in or digging in for a sustained period, and actually is the perfect word to describe what was happening in countless households. Some people have completed the “hunker” process and are arriving home to find that everything is just fine. But there are others who are still “hunkering” and playing the waiting game to find out when power is returned or just waiting for the opportunity to get home.

I pray that wherever you are, you are safe and finding the help you need. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and allow someone the blessing of coming to your aid. Be sure to stay in touch with your friends and family and thank God for all that He has brought you through.

They Were Astonished…

When talk of Gustav first began, weathermen and women stated that it could be rated a catagory 4 or 5 hurricane that could destroy New Orleans again. As Gustav moved closer to Louisiana, computer models kept showing a strong possibility of that happening. The language used by city and state officials was strong also and sent an estimated one million people into evacuation mode. Prayers were made so that the storm would weaken or bypass that area. The threat posed by Gustav was taken seriously. So, lo and behold, the storm weakened and did not hit New Orleans directly. Instead of “Praise God for answering our prayers” the reoccurring statement being touted now is that it was foolish to evacuate or take the storm seriously. Ahem…wait a second… when you prayed to God and hoped for this very outcome, didn’t you pray and wait in expectation? Are you really upset that He answered your prayers?

When you read Acts 12:1-9, you read about how the Apostle Peter was imprisoned and how the church nearby was praying for him. The angel of the Lord rescued Peter, allowing Peter the freedom to return to the place where the church was praying. After Peter knocked on the door, a girl went to open it (v.14) but was so astonished to see him that she ran back without opening it. When they finally came back and opened the door (v.16) they were astonished. They were surprised to see him there, even after praying to God in expectation (one assumes) that God would help Peter.

It is easy to point fingers at that church, but I have felt astonished myself, and then felt astonished that I felt astonished. Standing on this side of the pages of my Bible, it is easy to ask that church, “Why were you surprised? Did you thank God for answering your prayer?” But, I can hardly point a finger at them, without pointing at myself. It is always good to get a reminder that God is always faithful in hearing and answering our prayers. It is important to pray, believing that he will answer according to His wisdom and His timing.

Like many others, I listened to the reports of an imminent strike by Gustav. I prayed that the storm would dissipate. I hope that this week, we can be in agreement as we pray and thank God that the expected disaster did not happen as forecasted. Also I hope we will also lift up those who did face trouble with the storm, and those returning home this week. God IS good, all the time…