A Reminder After the Storm

During our beach trip this year, we kept our eye on not one but two hurricanes. One landed in Louisiana (Francine), the other in Tallahassee (Helene), about 3 weeks apart. There is another one brewing that could also land on the Gulf coast, but we will be home by the time it arrives. After the eye of Hurricane Sally went right over us in 2020, we are much more cautious about any category hurricane anywhere close by.

Around 36 hours after hurricane Helene made landfall, destroying so much and taking over 225 lives in several states (at the time of writing this), I awoke to the most amazing sunrise we’d had the entire time we were in Perdido Key. I just kept taking photos.

The ironic thing is the clouds didn’t mask the beauty of the sunrise, they enhanced it. Each photo I took was a different angle of sunlight and grew more and more majestic. My heart was drawn to pray for those who are missing or without electricity, food, and shelter as I was watching this glorious sunrise. 

I can’t tell you why God allowed this hurricane to land where it did and travel to where it traveled. But I can tell you that He is sovereign and brings His glory after the storm. I’ve experienced it in my own life, not only after Hurricane Sally, but in so many other hurricane situations in life. 

What I know without a doubt is that Jesus is our refuge in every single storm we endure. After hurricane Sally, I did a study in scripture of “refuge” and “stronghold” since that was truly what carried us through the night she blew over us for hours! If we had not survived, I knew where we would be and who would greet us.

Here’s just a couple of reminders of His presence:

Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you. I said to the LORD, You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you…I always let the LORD guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:1-2,8).

I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:1-2).

I pray this for those who have lost loved ones and property in Francine’s and Helene’s storms. I pray for their provision of physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and that they recognize Jesus as their true refuge. And I’m praying as we watch another storm on it’s way into the gulf and heading toward the Tampa area. Will you pray as well?

Check out more Beach Lessons here.

Banner photo by NASA on Unsplash