An Unpredictable Week

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 57:1 (NIV)

What a difference a week makes! A fiery ball bounced upward behind the woods and illuminated the sky.  A forest of green enclosed the mirrored lake. Breezes tickled leaves and purple flowers. An occasional bird melody drifted through the air but wildlife remained hidden. An air of peace and tranquility hovered over my retreat as sunlight glistened on the pond.

            Last week presented a much different picture. Gusts of wind swayed trees and waved flowers. Clouds hid the sun and created a mood of gloom. Not one squirrel, bird or deer ventured out. No melodious songs broke the spell. Perhaps they also felt anxiety because of the impending hurricane.  

            Continuous coverage about the storm filled news reports. Anxiety and uncertainty abounded as the state prepared for the worst. I had endured other storms but this one caused fear and apprehension across Florida. The winds increased quickly and the size widened. We watched and waited. 

            Even with Milton advancing, my daily time with God gave me peace, in spite of, the storm. I thought of people who endured the devastation of hurricane, Helene, only a week earlier. Many died, some lost homes and businesses but they persevered. They received an outpouring of assistance and compassion. 

            As I prepared before I left for my son, Chris’s home, I took pictures if I needed them for insurance. Questions swirled. Would I return to an intact home? Would my neighborhood be demolished? Would we be injured or worse? 

            I prayed and felt a sense of calmness unlike the predictions on the news. No matter what happened, I knew God promised to be with us and protect us. 

            The beauty and serenity of my lake reminded me that God did protect us in the latest storm. My family, friends and neighborhood survived with little damage. Only inconveniences with power outages, no internet nor television. 

             Because we have been spared, we can serve those who endured so much. We can donate money to reputable groups. Clean up yards for those who can’t like our church members have been doing. Even in our community some have lost much. Flooding continues as the rivers rise.  We need to also pray for people suffering from Helene and Milton. 

Heavenly Father, we weep with those who are distressed by the storms. Guide us on how we can help. Surround them with peace and compassion. Thank you for all the workers who have labored to support and encourage thousands of people in multiple states. Disasters often bring us together. Thank you for being with us in our pain and in our joy.

Amen

Frenzied Dragonflies

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:17 (NIV)

Sunlight shimmered on the mirrored lake. Dragonflies darted in a frenzy near the shore, up to the trees and then out across the water. Individually and in small groups they rose, dipped and circled but never rested. 

            Cardinals perched in my oak tree and chirped a greeting to the dawn. 

A pair of unseen birds played a game of rhythmic follow the leader. One would utter a specific tone and rhythm which was repeated exactly the same way from across the lake. For several minutes, they continued their back-and-forth joyful patterns.   

After I completed my morning devotional time, the peacefulness of the lake held me captive. Instead of rushing inside to start my day of tasks, I delighted in the beauty before me. I thanked God for my home, the lake, safety from the hurricane and the wonder of perfectly created flowers and trees.  

Too often, I am like the frantic dragonflies who hurry from place to place and miss the beauty and peace around me. It is easy to ignore the blessings when I focus on the problems. 

My yard isn’t perfect but I can overlook dying leaves, algae on the lake and bare spots of grass to appreciate the splendor of my retreat.  

Eventually, I have to leave the tranquil sanctuary to return to the reality of normal life with its ups and downs. However, I will try to remember the lessons of looking for God in the messiness of life. 

God of Peace, show us how to slow down and appreciate all you have given us. Your peace comes even in difficult situations.

Amen

            

The Monster Storm

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (NIV)

Menacing clouds concealed the approaching dawn as a tropical storm rushed into the Caribbean.

            Schools closed. Activities canceled. Most residents remained at home to wait. 

            Continuous weather reports replaced normal programming. 

Colorful maps displayed possible paths and intensity of the storm. Radar and hurricane chasers gave information but no one could accurately forecast when, where and how strong it would be. However, we all learned the monster hurricane would cover most of our state and several inland ones. 

            All day I waited and watched for rain and wind. Sprinkles fell on the lake and breezes ruffled the trees. I finally tired of staying inside and decided to work in my yard.  For an hour, I yanked and dug weeds. Because the increasing wind kept bees away, I trimmed out of bound plants. Then the rain started. 

            As soon as I settled down in a soothing bath, my phone blared, “Tornado warning. Take cover. Move to an inside room.”

            For a moment, I thought of remaining since I had been told a tub was protection. But I didn’t think they meant in a tub of water. 

            Reluctantly, I washed and hurried to my “safe room” which is a large, interior closet. On my way, I watched the weather man show where the storm was located. Only a few miles from my home and moving north. Thankfully, the warning was lifted a few minutes later. 

            When evening approached, we still didn’t have turbulent weather. I began texting friends and family in the proposed path to check on them. 

            Instead of expiring, our day long tornado watch was extended until the following morning. Wind began whipping the trees. Lights flickered.  The tv went off. After that, I finished a book. 

            Even with the pounding wind, I slept through the night and woke when the tornado watch expired. I listened for wind and rain but only heard silence. The sun even shone. 

Newscasts showed horrible scenes of destruction in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and beyond. While I slept, the hurricane raged and altered lives. Unfortunately, over forty people died. Helene wasn’t finished. Her fury continued to the Midwest and Northeast. Flood waters rose and caused more devastation. 

Flash floods caught people off guard. Evacuations were ordered when dams threatened to break. Rescue operations pulled people from vehicles and buildings.

The category 4 hurricane bypassed the size of most storms. The power and strength of the monster exceeded others. We watched and tried to figure out where it would hit. But no one predicted it exactly. 

As bad as the storm was, people came together to help. First responders saved desperate folks. Power company workers from around the US waited nearby to restore power as soon as it was safe. Shelters opened. Ordinary people helped those around them. A newscaster doing a live broadcast, stopped and waded through water to save a lady in a flooded car. 

People cared about each other. As weeks, months and maybe years of repairs and reconstruction occur, may we not forget and assist those who have lost so much. 

The monster storm gives us an opportunity to be kind, compassionate and helpful to those affected.  

May we also show the same kindness, compassion and love to those around us because no one escapes the storms and trials of this life. In times of trouble, residents of our country have previously banded together to support each other. 

Heavenly Father, only you know when the storms will come and where they will go. Show us how to deal with them in our lives and how we can help others.

Amen

Lake Mary Champions

Cheers erupted as the player slid into home plate for the extra inning run to win the game. During the series, the Little League boys from Lake Mary played hard and didn’t give up even when they were behind. 

            Yellow shirted fans cheered loudly from the stands. Back home in Florida, watch parties celebrated. The entire community and beyond rejoiced at Florida’s first ever World Championship. 

            After losing to Texas, the double elimination tournament gave them a second chance. They beat Texas in a later game but consoled the losing team. 

            During the games, their love for baseball, their families and each other showed. Even though they went to Pennsylvania to play baseball, they didn’t forget to be kind and compassionate.

            Immediately after scoring the winning run, they displayed how to be true champions. When the boys saw the tears of the losing Chinese Taipei team, the Florida players put their arms around the boys and offered comfort. Their coach squatted down to console a devastated boy. Their kindness brought tears to my eyes as I watched boy after boy support their rivals. 

            They were baseball champs but more importantly champions in the way they live.  Interviews with parents during the series also showed families who cared about loving others. 

            We need to celebrate the Lake Mary Little League Champions for what they did on and off the field. 

            As adults we can learn how to live well by emulating the actions of the Lake Mary Champions. 

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Loving Father, help us remember to be kind and loving to those around us even if they are different from us. Turn enemies into friends. We can often learn from children. 

Amen

Answer to Prayer

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

Whenever I travel, a couple of my books go with me. I pray to meet the right person to receive each one. 

            On my flight home from Indiana, a gray-haired lady sat by the window when I took the aisle. We spoke briefly. Then as the plane filled, another older lady moved into the middle seat. 

            I learned she had visited family for three weeks and was ready to return home to The Villages, a huge retirement community an hour from me. She lived in Indiana with her pastor husband before moving to Florida. 

            Once in the air both of us turned on our tablets and became immersed in our games. She touched her screen and looked at me. Free Cell came up on both tablets. While I continued trying to win,  she jumped from one type of game to another. 

            Later as we sipped our drinks and ate teeny airline snacks, we talked more. She relayed her husband died  three years ago and the previous day was their anniversary. I understood how difficult special days could be. Our conversation continued with stories about our deceased husbands. 

            I handed her my book on grief. She looked at it and tried to give it back.

            “No, it is for you. I wrote it,” I said. 

            “You wrote it?”

            Most people don’t believe they are talking to the author. I assured her that I did write it and told her why. 

            At baggage claim, she invited me to visit her home so she could show me around. I have no idea if we will meet again, but I am confident God placed her in my life that day.  

Over and over, I have met grieving people on planes, at church, in my neighborhood, in parking lots…

Loving Father, thank you for answering prayers. Help us notice people around us who need a listening ear, a kind word or even a book to ease their pain.

Amen

Self-sacrificing Friends

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5:18-20 (NIV)

My week at the Young Life camp in Georgia immersed me into the lives of teens. Even as a grandparent figure, they welcomed me. 

            Watching the young people learn about Jesus and help each other touched my heart. 

            During our week, a group of special needs teenagers joined the able-bodied ones as all participated in the activities. One young lady sang the national anthem acapella for over six hundred people before dinner one night. The crowd cheered when she finished. 

            Each day she stood with her buddy in front of me at club. She sang, danced and made adults smile at her enthusiasm. 

            When a young man in a wheelchair entered the clubroom with his friends, they helped him get down steps to be with the other students. At the end of the program, one would retrieve his wheelchair and push him away. Their kindness and service showed the love of Jesus. 

            Those friends made sure he enjoyed all aspects of camp. During western night, he was placed in line for the Virginia reel. Partners swirled around him so he could be part of the dance. 

            The following day his friends accomplished something I didn’t even try. A long, steep climb to the top of the mountain gave trekkers an opportunity to see the incredible view. Even though I would have loved to observe the panorama, my asthma kept me on the less strenuous trail. 

            The hike was known to be challenging but they endured the climb while carrying their friend in a sling over two poles on their shoulders.  They ignored their own obstacles to give him a view from the top. A second group carried a girl with a boot on her leg to the pinnacle. At least eight young men made their journey more difficult because of carrying a heavy load. 

            Their selfless actions reminded me of the men who lowered their friend through the roof to be healed by Jesus. But instead of lowering them, the teen boys carried two friends to experience Jesus. 

            When I see students violently protesting or complaining about insignificant matters, I will remember the young men who sacrificially assisted their friend all week to make his camp experience as meaningful as theirs. They truly showed the love of Jesus as they served with no thought of recognition for themselves. 

Loving Father, show us daily how we can serve sacrificially. Bless the young people who care for others and give us a beautiful example to follow.

Amen

       

Night of Laughter and Dancing

 

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

Close to six hundred teenagers, leaders, staff and their families, volunteer teens and adult guests formed a long procession down a dirt road to western themed night. Everyone dressed for the occasion at Sharptop Cove, a Young Life camp, in Georgia. 

            The teens had no idea what awaited them at the end of the road. But when they arrived, the fun began. Carnival games were set up for them to win tickets. They shot basketballs into hoops, footballs through hula hoops, set up bottles with a loop on a stick, knocked blocks over with a ball…When they won five tickets, they could throw a pie in their leader’s face. Five more tickets and they could spray the pie off their faces. 

            Popcorn and cotton candy were also available. No cost for anything and there was lots of laughing as music played.       After a while, students were instructed to form two lines-one of boys and one of girls. They circled behind a small barn and out the front. Couples were formed from the two lines and instructed to sit in groups of sixteen. The announcer told them to ask their partner where they were from and get to know each other while they waited for everyone to pair off. 

            Four couples then demonstrated how to do a simple square dance. The dancers stood and began the Virginia Reel. When someone didn’t know where to go, others told them. They laughed and moved down the line. Students came from Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Some were from affluent neighborhoods and others from the inner city. Some were black and others were white. The differences didn’t matter. They grabbed hands and danced. 

            Probably most of them had never done that type of dancing. But they joined in and had a great time with people they had never met. 

            When I watched the group, my heart was full. Unlike the world we had escaped for a while, no one was left out. No one was putting anyone down for being different. Hundreds of young people became kids with no problems delighting in the evening.

            With no phones for a week, the teenagers focused on being present and enjoying activities at camp. I pray that they will remember the joy of camp and learning how to love each other and God.

Loving Father, continue to be with those who attended camp and help them see how much God loves them. Change lives and strengthen the faith of those who accepted Jesus. Work in each life.

Amen