Storms Can Redirect Life Policies

Gulf Coast, We Care



I noticed a headline, "New Orleans Can Exhale." Yes, you held your breath with the flashbacks of Katrina, Camille and all the other hurricanes of your past. When the news alerts began to warn of a possible hurricane coming your way I imagine your mind began the replay of 3 years ago. This hit not only the present residents, but those who have permanently moved onto higher ground.

Whenever I have had to go "again" into a crisis; I have had the life lessons of the first incident, but I also have the compounded problem of memories and pain plus the agony of the present crisis. Having had some tough dilemmas in my childhood all the way back to my birth I have had to face some things that I could not articulate into words. Later I would learn through family stories that as a baby hard things had occured. When I visited those geographical places I would have frightening feelings, but I had no words to express the feelings.

Little ones have to process some feelings that they cannot put words to the feelings because they were so young when Katrina hit. Now they have a brain that can process language and they have frightening feelings with no way to express it. Yes, to all of you, exhale.

Way back in the sixties my husband, six month old daughter and I lived in the Ft. Walton Beach area while my husband served in the Air Force. We had lived through small hurricanes while we lived in Charleston, SC. I "knew" all about hurricanes. While the news reports warned of hurricane Camille many of my friends flew home to escape it. I thought that was absurd. As the storm neared no one ever recommended evacuation. My husband had to go the base hospital because he was a doctor.

So, with a bathtub full of water, a pantry with peanut butter, bread, and saltines I was fine. I had a battery operated radio and several flash lights. I had covered all my bases. But I remember watching the storm on tv headed to our coast or possibly Louisiana. I remember thinking I was the foolish one while my friends, safely at home in higher ground, had made the wisest decision. Here I was in essentially deserted base housing on beachfront with my precious baby daughter. That storm changed my mind in light of possible disaster. I now always choose the more conservative and safer decision.

God, when the storms come in the natural and in the spiritual and emotional areas of our lives will You show us how to learn from them? We don't want to just survive; we pray to thrive from the vivid life lessons these storms offer us. We also pray for everyone impacted this week by these storms...bless them and restore them we pray. AMEN