The sad is obvious - Hurricane Harvey, without a doubt! The pictures and stories have been incredible. I just can't begin to realize what it must be like to have to be rescued and to lose everything that you had. How would you ever exist with the masses in one of the evacuation centers? How would you adjust to having no home or vehicle? If you had serious physical problems, such as diabetes or heart disease, how would you get along without your medicine? How would you adjust with all of your financial records destroyed? What would you do and where would you go when the centers close? Would your work location ever open again and, if not, how would you earn any money to live on? So much sadness, so much distress! The picture with this blog is not one of sharks swimming in the ocean, although that might be appropriate. This is actually a picture of the tails of airliners at the airport. Incredible!
Now my parents lived through major flooding in Sunbury. I think the water nearly reached their second floor. What I recall are the stories of how very hard it was to clean up everything after the water went down. The mud and damage was terrible. Sunbury solved their flooding problems by building a wall around the city and for decades now the wall has kept the city dry. However, there were a couple of times the water did reach the top of the walls.
We have never faced flooding, but we do have water problems at our house createed by bad decisions made by the builder of the house. During heavy rain we must rely on our sump pump which has left us down a few times. We fought a difficult battle years ago when Agnes devastated parts of Lancaster County. A few years ago we lost our electricity when we had 11 inches of rain and my wife and I spent many hours throughout the night bailing water out of our sump pump well to protect our basement. But that was just 11 inches, not 50+ inches and the electicity was restored quickly after the rain stopped. I just can't imagine what 50+ inches must be like and I hope I never experience anything like it.
However, I did read one Christian blogger who thinks Harvey might have been used by God to punish America. Now I would never go that far and say something like that, although I can readily see why God would choose to punish this nation for its many sins.
But this is a very sad event and my prayers are for the people, workers and especially the children who have had their lives changed dramatically.
But then there is the bad. And that title goes to North Korea and its insane leader. He reminds me of Hitler, but maybe even more dangerous since he has an arsenal of nuclear weapons, rockets to deliver them, and no fear of using them. Will he draw us into nuclear war? Unfortunately, I think that is very possible and it could even happen much sooner than anyone ever expected. Sanctions seem to have no effect and negotiations are useless. What else can be done without going to war? Lord, come quickly!
As a senior citizen, I recall the days of atomic bomb drills in schools when we practiced hiding under our desks. What good would that have really done if we were attacked? And folks built and stocked bomb shelters. Should we be doing that today? Who might hit us first, North Korea or terrorists? A very bad situation, to say the least.
But the good news for believers is that God is still in control and these incidents might just be signs that Jesus is coming soon. And that is good news in the midst of the bad. So we live each day trusting Him as we travel through a land which is not our final home. This world is not our home, we're just a passing through! Our final, eternal home is just ahead.
The sad, the bad and now some more good news. We have had some very beautiful weather here in Pennsylvania the past two weeks ... cooler temperatures, low humidity and plenty of sunshine. I love it! It is so much more comfortable than most late Augusts have been. I recall many years starting school, without AC, and the temps already in the mid 90's when we started in the morning. Those days were so hard to bear for both teachers and students. I doubt that the students really learned much in those conditions. I would have loved to have this year's recent weather in those days.
And this weather also marks the start of my favorite season - Fall. Football returns this weekend, the leaves will soon change and show their beauty, and our favorite television shows will return. And we will enjoy each Fall day that the Lord gives us and try not to think of the Winter which will soon follow (more bad). But God is so good - all the time - in the sad, the bad and the good times. Thank you Lord for your presence and provision. Enjoy the day - this is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad!
The sad, the bad and now some more good news. We have had some very beautiful weather here in Pennsylvania the past two weeks ... cooler temperatures, low humidity and plenty of sunshine. I love it! It is so much more comfortable than most late Augusts have been. I recall many years starting school, without AC, and the temps already in the mid 90's when we started in the morning. Those days were so hard to bear for both teachers and students. I doubt that the students really learned much in those conditions. I would have loved to have this year's recent weather in those days.
And this weather also marks the start of my favorite season - Fall. Football returns this weekend, the leaves will soon change and show their beauty, and our favorite television shows will return. And we will enjoy each Fall day that the Lord gives us and try not to think of the Winter which will soon follow (more bad). But God is so good - all the time - in the sad, the bad and the good times. Thank you Lord for your presence and provision. Enjoy the day - this is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad!
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