He stood at attention next to my neighbor’s sunroom. From my patio, I observed him staring at the dark lake.
Clouds dimmed the sky. Sheets of rain rushed across the water to the shore. Gusts of wind slung waves north, west, south and east.
Torrents of rain fell onto the solitary sandhill crane by my neighbor’s home. Water dripped from his gray body. Wind ruffled his feathers. Nevertheless, he stood like a statue for at least thirty minutes and braved the storm.
For a week, weather reports urged Floridians to prepare for a hurricane. Store shelves emptied. Long gas lines formed. Plywood covered windows. Some residents escaped. The rest of us waited.
Each day new predictions changed plans. Hourly reports foretold disastrous weather. Weariness and uncertainty filled our minds. We waited and waited.
When and where would it hit. No one really knew.
As Dorian came through the Caribbean, it touched a few islands and then attacked the Bahamas with a vengeance. Destructive winds refused to let go and stayed for hours and then days. The unwanted guest wouldn’t leave and left a trail of desolation.
Thankfully, much of Florida will be spared a direct hit. But coastlines are being wrecked. Surges will flood homes and businesses. The nightmare isn’t over.
States further north are preparing for their own uninvited guest. Hopefully, the storm won’t be as bad as the predictions.
Rarely are sandhill cranes alone. What happened to his mate? Perhaps he faced more than one storm. He didn’t hide but endured it. The lone crane showed me that we can stand tall and endure the storms of life-not just the unpredictable hurricanes.
Whether we face hurricanes, physical, emotional, financial, or relational storms, God provides strength, patience and endurance.
Even though Hurricane Dorian brought frustration, destruction and weariness, it also led neighbors and strangers to help each other locally, in other states and in the Bahamas. People became more important than possessions as residents slowed down, tried to stay safe and waited for the storm to pass.
…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43: 1-2 NIV)
Heavenly Father, thank you for protecting us in the storms we face. Amen
