Hurricane Party

For days, the news warned us to prepare for Hurricane Helene. We got phone calls to check if we (as old people) had the necessary supplies in case of power outages. Since we have 2 fridges and a freezer as well as the entire kitchen with enough food to feed an army, we assured the callers we were fine.

My cousin and his wife stopped by from Florida but had to return early so they could prepare for their family to come in from the coast. They call the several time a year visits their Hurricane Parties. They are used to the hurricane warnings and do take them seriously. Just getting enough food to feed that many people for who knows how long is a serious endeavor. Tom and Caroline are certified disaster relief assessors as well as regular home inspectors so they also anticipated several upcoming weeks of strenuous work.

Ronald and I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary and started a fresh puzzle as our Hurricane Party activity.

We snoozed right through as the residual storm passed through. When morning came, we got up while it was still dark – and the electricity was off. Rather than going back to bed, we stumbled around getting our ‘hurricane preparations’ ready after the fact. I’m not sure how long the electricity had been off, but we hauled out candles which made our makeshift breakfast festive. Before long the sun arose, we blew out the candles, opened the curtains, and went on with life.

Now, here it is days later. The temporary delight I had in my own Hurricane Party has totally dissipated as I’ve seen the horrible devastation caused by the storm. Pictures of the initial wind damage, the ensuing rains, and continuing flooding grieve me. The inability of people to reach loved ones by phone is heart breaking. We’ve driven through many areas of North Carolina and Tennessee where torrents of water are spilling through valleys so I can easily imagine it all. As I read updates coming from the police and emergency personnel, I have felt their frustration and their inability to easily resolve the catastrophe.

SO…..

When our church decides on some practical help for the needy, we will of course aid in that as best we can.

In the meantime…

I will do the main and most important thing I can do – PRAY!!!. As a firm believer in prayer, I am going to have a ‘Hurricane Prayer Party’. Please join with me as I pray for the safety of the survivors, the rescuers (who often have to leave their own to aid others), and God’s peace for all. I will pray for helpful insurance agents to give fair compensation. I will pray for legitimate charity groups to have the funding and every means possible to help those affected by the storm. I will pray this flood will not be an excuse for political rhetoric to spew blame. I will pray imprecatory prayers on those who will scam the victims as they try to rebuild. I will pray for those families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy.

Here are some prayer verses.

Psalm 34:18 NLT  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 147:3  NKJV He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

As I pray for inner fortitude and determination for those whose lives have been upended, I share this verse.

Psalm 73:26 ESV My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 40:29 NKJV He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

May it be so.

Blessings to all.

Kara Beth

The puzzle is from Bits and Pieces. We have ordered puzzles from them for years and have always been pleased with the quality.