Earlier this week, I was in a conversation with a relatively new arrival to coastal living in the south. He expressed annoyance and frustration at the back-to-back storms in our area, although Milton turned out to be a lot less of a storm for us than we knew at the time of the conversation. Those of us with a bit more coastal experience tried to assure him that it wasn’t typical to have a season like this one or to have two significant storms threaten our area in two weeks. Despite its rarity, it is a reality. Our conversation turned to hurricane preparedness. Helene’s surprising strength and impact on our area meant that many people weren’t as prepared as they might have been had they known some neighborhoods would be without power for five days. I shared what I’ve learned about creating a hurricane kit, the experience of staying through Irma, and a series of less severe storms over the years I’ve lived on St. Simons. I also pointed him to the FEMA and Red Cross guidelines for hurricane kits as a starting point. Everyone should have some kind of emergency kit to help them manage unexpected natural or human-made disasters. Having such plans can help us rest a bit easier.Preparations only get us so far, however. While we can manage without power or water for a given period, provided we have stocked up ahead of time, such supplies don’t mean much if the weather is so severe that our homes are destroyed. A lower-grade hurricane is one thing; a tornado is something completely different. So, too, is the flooding we saw in North Carolina. We’re used to talking about storm surges here, but storm surges are mostly predictable. Often, flash flooding is not, especially if an area hasn’t been designated as a flash flood area. The other prep

aration we can do is the spiritual kind, where we learn to trust in God. That trust doesn’t mean we are spared from storms, damage, or anything else; instead, it means we trust that no matter what we experience, God is working, somehow, in some way, for our healing and goodness. The Holy Spirit guides people into helping vocations or volunteerism to help those in need, including us – an incredible gift and demonstration of God’s goodness. Such trust, however, does not negate the need to get out of the way of walls of wind or water. I always cringe internally when someone says that God will protect them. Our faith is not storm insurance. It’s not even insurance – it’s assurance.In the old parable/joke, the pastor of a country church is warned about a failing levee and his need to leave his church behind. He turns down two rescue parties in boats, assured that God will save him. Later, as he clings to the steeple in the rising water, a Coast Guard helicopter drops a ladder for him to climb to safety, but again, he declines, claiming that God will save him. Unsurprisingly, he drowns, gets to heaven, and asks God why God didn’t save him. God’s reply? I sent two boats and a helicopter! For some skeptics, that story is, indeed, proof that God doesn’t act on our behalf and, therefore, must not exist. For those persons, if the Coast Guard initiates the rescue, God can’t do it also.However, we recognize that God is at work in the human heart, not causing outcomes but guiding decisions, inspiring sacrifice, and calling people to relationships. Fortunately, time after time, people do help one another. When it matters, we take care of each other. That is God at work – Christ at work in the world. Nonetheless, that won’t always be enough. Sometimes, there will still be danger, loss, and death. As I’ve said before, the promise of our faith isn’t that everything will be okay, only that we’ll be okay when everything around us isn’t. That assurance is more of an eternal standard, which can be frustrating at times. That also doesn’t make it any less accurate.We should have hurricane plans, emergency plans, and kits to ride out different scenarios. We rightly take responsibility for ourselves as much as possible, knowing we can’t plan for everything no matter how hard we try. While we can do a lot for ourselves, we will likely need others, too. And when that’s not enough, it’s important to remember that God’s got us in God’s hand. Thankfully, it’s rare that everything will go wrong, but for some, it is reality. When it does, we can rest easier knowing God’s love and the promise of life in Christ no matter what is reality, too.Tom+O God of might and mercy, thank you for your many blessings and never-failing care and love for your creation. On a day of discovery and hope we await news of the fate of those in the path of Hurricane Milton. While we wait, we offer our thanksgiving and praise to you: For beautiful sunrises, reminders that the light will always conquer the darkness and the fear that often accompanies it, we thank you.For the welcome and hospitality for strangers and refuges displaced from their homes, we thank you.For the men and women who respond to dangerous emergencies instead of fleeing them, putting their lives at risk for ours, we thank you.For the men and women who work for our government at all levels, who made plans ahead of time, communicate openly during the crisis, and who will soon begin the work of rebuilding, we thank you.For those who are working even now to inspect damage, remove downed trees, and restore power and essential services to those already affected by storms, we thank you. For those who care for the sick, the injured, and the dying, and those who have stayed with the weak and vulnerable, we thank you.For the strong walls and sound homes that stand the test of wind and waves, we thank you.For the care we share with one another in times of distress, as neighbors are kind and gentle and supportive, we thank you.For the wonder of your creation that will heal itself in time, we thank you.Bless those who will receive news of damage and loss; shield those who grieve from further torment; keep safe those who labor on our behalf; grant us thankfulness when we sigh with relief at news that does not confirm what we feared the most; and let us look towards a new day with all its promise. Keep us from forgetting those who are worse off and inspire us to help where we can. Do not let us quickly forget that what is most important in this life is not what we have but the people with whom we share our journey. In the midst of our innumerable blessings, may we work together to rebuild, to lend aid, to serve one another, and to model the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as we strive for your kingdom’s glory on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Photo Credits: Milton radar and disaster relief via dreamstime.com subscription