Weather, or Not

I've been following the hurricane getting ready to hit Texas in a couple hours. It really is amazing how huge the storm is, taking up so much of the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently, though, not everyone decided to leave the Galveston area. There are about 10,000 that remained after the mass exodus to safer ground. Not sure if those left behind are brave, dumb, or have decided there was no other choice.

We can't think of hurricane damage without remembering those two that hit in 2005, and all the stories of loss and trauma that occurred. What I remember about Hurricane Katrina was a couple who had a 4-year-old girl living on a house boat right on the coast line of Louisiana. They said they had no where to go, so they would just stay and weather the storm. My daughter was about that age, and I couldn't imagine staying in such a potentially dangerous situation. My prayer was that they heeded the warnings and got to shelter quickly. Of course, it's doubtful I'll ever know what happened.

There are always miracle stories in times of crisis. During Hurricane Katrina, there was a church in Shreveport, LA that knew the hurricane would come right over the top of them, dumping buckets of rain accompanied by high winds. If I remember the story details right, the pastor and his wife (and perhaps a few others) spent the day in the church praying for protection. God kept the building intact, and whatever water came inside was easily swept out by the maintenance man.

Certainly, the good stories aren't the ones in which the main-stream media is really interested. But it is good for us to see that God does still protect those in major storms, literal or otherwise. And if I think about it, the tragic stories do have their place. It is good for us to see a need and feel compelled to fill it.

As I go to bed tonight, I am going to keep praying for God to protect the people and show me ways I can help. For certainly, there will be a need.