After the Storm
I awoke this morning just inundated with thoughts and images of Hurricane Harvey, the flooding, the homes ripped apart by wind, the mounds of twisted metal buildings filled with boats and vehicles, the scenes of furniture, bicycles, and toys all floating down rivers which were once roads. All of these images which have been made so public, represent peoples lives, their stories....and it breaks my heart! I have read countless posts from friends who have evacuated their homes, saving what they could, but knowing they will be coming back to extreme damage and repairs that will take months. And as I sat here and prayed for them, I started to write this:
I am thinking this morning of the thousands and thousands of people who have lost their homes, businesses, and even loved ones, to this horrible storm. Today the hurricane has passed, but the flooding and devastation continues. By all outward appearances, the sea has calmed; but it is the storm inside us that threatens now, the rising waters of fear and anxiety. We stare ahead at a much less angry sea and wonder, "WHY and HOW, LORD, can we recover? It's surely too much! Too much for our hearts to bear and too much for us to physically accomplish."
The symbolism of this picture has not lost it's meaning on me. I stand with you, also facing a calmer sea, but as I look around, I am overwhelmed by the devastation and in this home of my heart, the flood waters have not yet receded. I, too, wonder why and how it is possible to rebuild and move forward. Surely it will require months of work, sweat and tears, and some heavy equipment.
The hope we have is to know THIS - this very scripture: God himself went before us to get us to this point and He continues to go before us. We need not be afraid - or even discouraged! I don't know about you, but that last part seems a little far reaching for me. We need not even be discouraged? How do you endure something like this and not feel, at the very least, discouraged? As we built our house in Nicaragua and made our plans, God knew what the future held. He knew I would soon be coming back to this house without my Jon. He knew it and he walked before me. There He was....and here He still is. As you built your homes and your businesses, yes your lives, in Rockport and Port A and all the other places affected by Harvey, God KNEW this was coming and He walked beside you and before you. In Houston, as you walked out of your home with the waters encroaching, saying goodbye to memories and treasures, God made a path before you and He doesn't stop there! He promises not to leave your or forsake you! He will continue to walk before you and beside you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Rest in his unchanging love today and have confidence in His ability to completely provide for your every need, physically and emotionally. Give yourself grace as the waters recede in your homes AND in your hearts. Let the master care for these damaged places as only He can. And know that you are loved and prayed for by a this person and many others who also understands loss and devastation. Life does continue ..... even after the storm.
I am thinking this morning of the thousands and thousands of people who have lost their homes, businesses, and even loved ones, to this horrible storm. Today the hurricane has passed, but the flooding and devastation continues. By all outward appearances, the sea has calmed; but it is the storm inside us that threatens now, the rising waters of fear and anxiety. We stare ahead at a much less angry sea and wonder, "WHY and HOW, LORD, can we recover? It's surely too much! Too much for our hearts to bear and too much for us to physically accomplish."
The symbolism of this picture has not lost it's meaning on me. I stand with you, also facing a calmer sea, but as I look around, I am overwhelmed by the devastation and in this home of my heart, the flood waters have not yet receded. I, too, wonder why and how it is possible to rebuild and move forward. Surely it will require months of work, sweat and tears, and some heavy equipment.
The hope we have is to know THIS - this very scripture: God himself went before us to get us to this point and He continues to go before us. We need not be afraid - or even discouraged! I don't know about you, but that last part seems a little far reaching for me. We need not even be discouraged? How do you endure something like this and not feel, at the very least, discouraged? As we built our house in Nicaragua and made our plans, God knew what the future held. He knew I would soon be coming back to this house without my Jon. He knew it and he walked before me. There He was....and here He still is. As you built your homes and your businesses, yes your lives, in Rockport and Port A and all the other places affected by Harvey, God KNEW this was coming and He walked beside you and before you. In Houston, as you walked out of your home with the waters encroaching, saying goodbye to memories and treasures, God made a path before you and He doesn't stop there! He promises not to leave your or forsake you! He will continue to walk before you and beside you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Rest in his unchanging love today and have confidence in His ability to completely provide for your every need, physically and emotionally. Give yourself grace as the waters recede in your homes AND in your hearts. Let the master care for these damaged places as only He can. And know that you are loved and prayed for by a this person and many others who also understands loss and devastation. Life does continue ..... even after the storm.
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