Storm Damage?

Recently several large areas of the Southern United States have experienced tremendous damage from storms. The news is full of images of flooded streets and destroyed buildings. Stories of heroism grab us whilst convoys of aid and relief head to the affected areas.As I write today, storms are sweeping north through my city. Many businesses and schools have decided to remain closed either through necessity or precaution. All eyes are on the weather and local news. Those affected further south who have had such a terrible time will be long forgotten by the time they gather their lives and try to start their lives over again. (My own experience of such flooding left us out of our home for almost a year.)

Things most don't think about include… Where do you find a builder? They are all really busy! Carpets are all on back order. Furniture stores are inundated and they too may well have been destroyed. Electrician? Maybe in a few weeks someone will “drop by for a quick look” but the work won’t be completed for months! Almost everything changes. In fact whole neighbourhoods may be so drastically altered that they never again feel like home to anyone returning to them. But there is another side of disaster too.

Tough times tend to bring out the very best in people. Somehow when all around is in chaos, people seem to stick together, helping one another through the difficulties. You hear many times from people who have lost everything, “It’s only stuff.” The truly important things tend to surface.Those who usually don't mix together or even talk, become firm friends.Class and culture are set aside. The usual political, economic and religious divides are temporarily forgotten. The picture today shows a pastor in what is left of his Church after it was destroyed in similar circumstances some years ago in Chile. (In this instance it was an earthquake that did the damage but other than having less warning, the effects were very similar to the hurricanes of today.) I’ve often wondered how the Pastor felt. He had worked for many years to build up the facility and congregation only to see it devastated in an instance. The reason I love this picture is what is written on one of the few, still standing walls. “Jesus me ama.” (Jesus loves me.) As I took the picture the pastor read the phrase out loud several times, powerful moment. When all around, devastation, destruction and chaos seem to reign, there are some absolutes that cannot be damaged by passing storms. One of those is that “Jesus me ama.”