We Were Spared!!!
Hey hey hey. It’s another weekend. Thank God!!! You may be exhausted after a week of hard work, but if you are safe and dry, give thanks!!! If not, you are in my prayers.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t take it for granted when a storm or hurricane “wobbles” away from directly hitting Jamaica and we only get the outer bands. I prepared myself mentally and practically in the event our island got a direct hit, but I am extremely grateful that it didn’t.
None of us, I'm sure is a stranger to storms and their effects. Whether we’ve experienced them ourselves, or seen the devastating destruction wrought on life and property, storms are dreaded.
As I write this blog, the residents of Florida, unfortunately, have just faced the brunt of hurricane Ian, and are now left in its wake with death and destruction, flooded-out buildings, no electricity, and extensive areas inundated by flood waters. People and their pets are still being rescued. Properties, homes, and livelihoods have been destroyed and many areas will remain unliveable for a very long time.
Damaged buildings litter Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian passed through the area. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Ian, while still a storm, threatened to pass close enough to Jamaica to wreak extensive damage, but even as it was strengthening to hurricane force, it moved away from the island.
We were spared!!!
We are fortunate to have the technology and expertise today to afford us ample warning of impending storms so we can prepare to the extent possible. People leave work early in drones to stock up on storm supplies, batten up their homes against rain and winds, and trim overgrown trees that may jeapordize power lines and buildings. As a result of the frenzy, the roads are backed up with traffic, and supermarkets and hardware stores have long, winding lines of anxious people.
Of course there are those who go about their business as usual either because they simply do not have the means to buy up what is needed or are cynical about “wasting” money given the possibility that the storm would not proceed along the projected track.
And then there are those like me who had already stocked up on non-perishables and made provision in advance knowing we are in hurricane season. We had a nearby tree fall, barely missing my parked car during a previous storm, so my husband knew to have the surrounding trees trimmed early. We did not need to join long lines, nor panic. We checked on our elderly neighbour and reassured him, and settled in for the wait.
There are many in Florida today who are wishing they had taken Ian more seriously and evacuated when they could.
How about you? Do you prepare, or do you wait and see?
I have faced a few storms in my life that I wish I had been better prepared for - redundancy, overwork and burnout, health issues, parental trials, and marital turmoils.
Thankfully, God never left me. In the midst of the storms I could call upon Him. I found time and time again that Psalm 46:1 is true - “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
As the rescue teams are assisting the many who are stranded in Florida, God provided people to help me. They held my hands through and after the storms, and helped me to recover and stand stronger to better face other storms. The Word of God, prayer, counselling, coaching, medical advice, medication, rest and therapy all had a place in my survival. We need each other.
As long as we are alive, we will face disasters. Would you not rather be prepared?
Your weekend tip is to prepare for the storms of life by stocking up on the Word of God, a support system of friends and family (don’t isolate yourself), and being willing to reach out to resources such as Coaches, Counselors and Therapists.
I’ve done the work and learned the lessons. Now I would like to be there for you.
If you want a resource to help you stock up on the word of God, I created this Devotional Journal sheet for you: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ywD07EuoYEv9TYEU78KFMCxyssJ6Ga_SudtzGFs7as/edit?usp=sharing
If you’re in a storm right now and need a hand to hold or an ear to listen, feel free to reach out to me HERE. It’s FREE.
Sharon Carruthers, the author of the ‘Weekend Reset’ blog is a child of God, wife, mother of 3, a Human Resource Management and Development Consultant, and owner of the firm, ‘Bold Consulting’. She is sharing from her own experiences for women who are holding back, or living on autopilot; who believe their identities are in others and, or in what they do; or who neglect themselves while sacrificially taking care of others. She hopes that together Christian women can embrace the future with the beautiful hope of transformation one step at a time.