Riding out the Storm

Charley, Ivan, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Ike and Harvey are names that many of us would like to forget. These are the names of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States since 2004. The winds and waves destroyed millions of dollars in property and cost thousands of lives. These were just the beginning of many problems that came because of these deadly storms. The aftermath of these storms changed lives permanently. Many families separated during the rebuilding process, some physically, some mentally and others emotionally. For some, the rebuilding continues. Many people left the areas for new opportunities while others remain homeless.  The worst part may be that dishonest people took advantage and stole thousands of dollars from the already victimized residents.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita changed my life forever. For nine months, my wife and children would be apart. One son went to college as expected, but my wife and other son lived 371 miles away. This is a result of my house being destroyed by floods caused by Katrina and failed levees. Local schools were barely an option. Thanks to the kindness of strangers who paid for his school and supplies in his temporary city. Thanks to our sisters who gave us shelter and more.

Just a few years later, a tornado damaged my new house in my new town.  Sometimes, I wonder if the storms will ever cease.

Now, Hurricane Harvey is flooding Southeast Texas. Rain continues to pour. As I watch the news, I relive many tearful moments that I experienced in 2005. My heart cries out to the newest storm victims. Rescue workers and neighbors are helping those in trouble.  Many lives will never be the same. Repairing homes while holding on to sanity is difficult. This may simply be a result of everyone needing help. The people they would most likely rely on for help is in need of help themselves. As for this storm, it appears to be looping around preparing to hit again and hitting other areas, as well.

During the storms that I have endured, I learned that things are just that, things. Everything I have is just a luxury, even my house. I do not need things, but I am glad to have them. I miss a few things that I previously owned, but I learned that I could do without.

Storms are temporary. People make repairs. People go about their lives to one extent or another. However, there are worse storms than hurricanes.

The winds and waves are nothing compared to the storms in our hearts and minds. Bad things happen, but how you process things can bring success or failure. Many people focus on the negatives. They only see the problems. It is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when the darkness envelops the tunnel. We need to refocus our eyes. We need to have faith. Rather than seeing problems, we need to see opportunities to improve. See a better tomorrow.

Storms that people face daily vary. Some deal with family issues, financial problems or bad health. Others face depression, regret, or bitterness. You are not the only one to face any particular storm. Unlike with hurricanes and tornados, we cannot see with what others are dealing. Someone has faced the same type of storm as you. Many are facing those same storms now. Do not be ashamed to seek help. Do not be ashamed to be a rescue worker for someone else. Some just need someone to listen.

I was just doing my job after Katrina and one woman seemed overwhelmed. She began to talk to me, and I just listened. As she told her story, it brought her some relief. She allowed me to pray for her. It is all I could do.

You may think that you cannot help. You may not be able to see past your own problems. However, we are not in the storms alone. We need each other.

I have always hated the saying that "perception is reality". That is not correct. Other people perceive things about me that are inaccurate. Their perception of me or my situation does not matter, and it is not my reality. It should not matter to you either. The only thing that matters is what you perceive about you and your situation. Do you see yourself in a hopeless situation? Then you are in a hopeless situation. If you believe that there is a better tomorrow and the world does not revolve around your storms, then there is a better tomorrow.

Stay positive. Have faith. Trust God. Ride out the storm. Be strong. They may seem like they last forever, but they do end. 

The Solar Eclipse of 2017

Today, we experienced a solar eclipse. Here in the United States, many were able to see a total eclipse. The last time the United States experienced a total solar eclipse was in 1979. Unfortunately, for me, the moon only covered approximately 70% of the sun. 

I am not a person who looks for these sorts of things. There are people who stay up late watching for meteor showers and the like. It does not excite me. I love looking at the stars on a clear night, but I am not going out of my way to see them. 

I learned a few things because of this eclipse. First, 30% of the sun still exposed does not make it dark. In fact, at 1:29 pm during our peak moments, it looked like 1:29 pm on any given sunny day. I thought it would at least look like early evening.  I also learned that there are cities called Madras, Oregon and Carbondale, Illinois. I am sure they are great places, but I never heard of them until The Weather Channel showed their view of the eclipse on television.

People really get excited about these things. I witnessed people standing on buildings to get a good view. I saw stadiums full of people who gathered just for the moment. It does not matter to people that the totality of the eclipse lasted just over two minutes in duration. People were excited. Sometimes, I wonder why I am not as enthusiastic about such things as others are.  Not much really excites me.

I heard many warnings that we should not look at the sun with only our eyes. I hope parents teach their children not to do this even when there is no eclipse. Of course, my parents told me this from time to time, but being a stubborn boy, I would do it just to see how long I could endure it. It was never long. It is probably a good reason that I have worn glasses for most of my life.

I did manage to watch the eclipse for about 30 seconds with the special glasses that someone brought to work. It actually was cool to see. Not really enough of a reason to throw a party unless you just want a party.

Different people like to see different things. Many, like me, love to watch sunsets on the beach. Some like to see historical monuments, beautiful paintings, or maybe just a good menu from which to order dinner.

I wish we would see the more important thing. I wish we would see the faults in our own lives and try to fix them rather than see the fault in everyone else. I wish we would see the good in people and not the bad. I wish we would see everyone as human beings rather than the subgroups into which we have divided ourselves. I wish we would spend more time seeing our children and grandchildren growing up rather than spending so much time working or thinking only of ourselves.

Nature has many wonderful things to experience. I would love to see the Aurora Borealis, The Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef or The Daintree Rainforest. However, with all of the divisiveness that I see in this world. However, I would rather see peace and unity than all of the other things. 

Heroes

Is there anyone who hates Superheroes other than super villains? I remember watching my favorite heroes on television growing up. I would occasionally read some of their comic books. Like many others, I enjoyed Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, but I also enjoyed some lesser knowns such as Captain Caveman, Sgt. Rock, and Hong Kong Phooey. I would love to be able to fly or have x-ray vision. It would be great to protect people from evil. 

While I still enjoy watching movies about superheroes, I prefer to hear the stories of the real-life heroes. It has been 8 years since Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger managed to land his plane on the Hudson River saving the lives of the 155 people onboard. 

William Kyle Carpenter was 21 years old when he jumped on a hand grenade while in Afghanistan in 2010. His actions resulted in losing most of his teeth and his right eye. He shattered his jaw and broke his arm in a number of places. The result is that he saved his friend's life. He is the youngest living soldier to receive the Medal of Honor. 

Recently, I watched the film Hacksaw Ridge about how Desmond Doss rescued 75 wounded men during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II while refusing to carry a weapon or to kill anyone. 

There is no shortage of heroes during wars or times of catastrophes, such as the terror attacks on September 11 or Hurricane Katrina.

There are also heroes of the faith. 

Noah believed and obeyed God when no one else around him would. People thought he was crazy, but he never lost the faith that God knew better. As a result, God saved him and his family from death. This allowed humanity to continue to exist.

Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt. The people he helped save would eventually want to kill him. He continued to believe God and the Israelites would be able to go to the Promised Land. 

No one is perfect. Superheroes have their weaknesses, like Kryptonite. Real life heroes are just people with their own problems who respond in situations and put others before themselves. The heroes of the faith had their own issues, as well. Some drank too much. Some acted promiscuously at times, some even killed for the wrong reasons. However, they put aside their reputation and even their lives for the sake of God and his people.

What about the unsung heroes in this world? The unsung heroes work behind the scenes to make things happen. The people who do not get movies made about them. Those who do not get medals.

Dr. Megan Coffee has been working in Haiti since the earthquake in 2010. She established a medical facility for those with long-term illnesses. She is not paid, and she takes public transportation to work so she can treat people. 

John R. Fox died in World War II when he called for an artillery strike on his own position when he realized the Germans would overrun them. This strike caused the enemy to delay long enough for other American units to organize a counterattack.

Heroes do not risk their lives for fame or money. They simply do it to help others. They do it for a just cause. They put themselves out there, regardless of what others will think. 

Anyone can be a hero.  We just need to put down our pride. We need to fight for what is right. We have to put others first. There are so many that need help. There is a lot of injustice that occurs. When the opportunity arises, do not be afraid to do the right thing. People need a hero. Be that hero.

The Kite

Have you ever had a decision to make and wanted to make the right one? It is not always easy to make the right choice. We see wrong choices being made every day. Even in the scriptures, we see bad choice after bad choice. Lot chose the wrong place to live and lost his possessions, his wife, and his freedom. King David chose to commit adultery causing him to lose an infant son, his daughter to be molested by her half-brother, and a rebellion led by his own son.

All decisions can have blessings or curses. We need to make the right choices. Sometimes we make all the choices ourselves, but we should rely on godly counselors that God has placed in our lives. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.” But who can you trust?

God has given every one of us a set of parents. They have more experience in this life and will often be glad to share their wisdom. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Col 3:20) It is amazing how smart I became when my son went to college. Even in my forties, I consulted my dad for his opinions. However, parents are not the only ones God has in our life to consult.

For many of us, he has given us a spouse. Too seldom do we consult each other in decision making. The Bible tells us that we need to “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph 5:21) This passage talks about our spouses. We might think that we rule the house and are to make all decision, but those decisions should be a joint effort.

God has also given us spiritual leaders. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb 13:17) Your leaders want you to make wise decisions that will help you succeed and please God.

Another group of people from which we can seek help is experts. Attorneys, doctors, auto mechanics can give much better advice in their fields than the average person.

Probably the most important counsel that we receive is the peace of God. When we are guided by God, His peace is on the scene. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Col 3:15)

We may not like the counsel we get because we think it may hold us back. “My parent/boss/pastor doesn’t understand and is holding me back.” Statements like this are made all the time. What we soon forget is that they want us to succeed. They do not want us to be held back.

There is a story about a kite that loved to fly high. It would fly as high as it could possibly go, but it would always feel this tugging. It was the string. The kite thought that if the string would just let go than it could fly even higher. One day, the kite tried really hard to fly higher and higher. It kept pulling and pulling until the string finally broke. The kite thought that with the string now gone it would be able to fly higher. The problem, he found out, is that without the string, there was nothing to guide it. The kite would crash into the ground.

The moral of this story is: The thing that holds you back is the thing that holds you up.