Storms of Life

By Cathy Irvin
CBN Staff Writer

CBN.com - As I sat watching the news and weather from this recent hurricane “Charlie," I felt the burden for those in Florida. I felt the presence of the Lord and became teary-eyed as I thought of the elderly who had lost everything. I watched as a lady on the TV said with a choked up voice say, "Well I need to go help my neighbors." She was in the midst of the devastation of her own home.

Many of the Florida residents thanked God they were alive. One 81 year old woman who weathered out the storm alone said she had nowhere else to go. All those around her had evacuated the Punta Gorda mobile park. She felt her home rattle and shake and yet she was protected. She didn't even know her next door neighbor's homes were totally destroyed.

The Pastor at my friend’s church felt the burden of the devastation in Florida and took up collections in the 3 services to help them. There will be many organizations to come to the rescue with monetary means and will offer emotional support.

The rebuilding of someone's life is worth the investment. This has made me think how important it is to have a strong faith, having our lives built on the solid rock, Jesus. He alone can give the peace in any storm of life we face.

Although in the Hampton Rhodes area, we did not suffer much damage since it was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it arrived. We had winds at about 35 to 45 miles an hour but we were watching and waiting for limbs to drop off on trees that had been hit by the last hurricane "Isabelle." In other neighborhoods they were concerned about areas that could possibly flood. A lady at church said she had waterfront property and laughed. But all kidding aside, we were truly blessed. That is for sure.

The causalities amongst those across the East Coast were low and we can be thankful. Homes can be rebuilt, food and clothing can be supplied, but the loss of lives cannot be restored.

The reality is this; the most important thing in life is the souls of people. That is why we invest in helping to educate them to trust in God and offering our assistance materially whenever possible.

If we have one another and a strong faith in God, we can weather the storms in life. They may be the day to day trials or a hurricane that is headed our way.

Weathermen do the best they can to warn people of impending threats to their communities, but it is not always predictable. These storms can hit hard when you least expect it. This certainly reminds me of the devil. He attacks us when we are not aware. We must be on the alert at all times and put our trust in God. It is He who holds our future.

We cannot always be prepared for every storm, hurricane or tornado, but we can have faith in God on a day to day basis. We can be at peace in the midst of any storms in our lives -- the weather kind or the attacks from the devil that are trying to destroy us. Jesus is your rescuer, your deliverer and a high tower.

Jesus spoke to the storms and said "Peace be still." May we use the authority we have as believers in Christ and speak to the storms of life in that same way.

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