Thursday, the day before Rita

Sunday, October 16, 2005
5:35:00 PM EDT
Feeling Happy

Storm Stories - Thursday, the day before Rita

I want to take you back in time to Thursday evening, Sept. 22nd. Rita was still a category 4 hurricane......the strongest ever on record in the Gulf waters. Most were still uncertain of an exact place of landfall, but it was continually narrowing in on the Beaumont/Sabine Pass region. I had signed on to post that I would probably not be available for some time (I thought 3 days to one week.) I decided to go ahead and peek in on what the AOL weather had to say. There I found an advisory issued that made my blood run cold. It stated that if she kept her current strength, Rita would cause flooding up to I-10....which runs through the center of Beaumont. Okay. I'm North of that. The part that got me was predictions that as far inland as 100 miles, 1/3 of ALL TREES would snap in to or be layed over by the winds! People, there is no place apart from trees in our area. Too late to run. No where much to hide. I'll just keep this to myself. No need to alarm my household.

I noticed I had received an e-mail, and I thought "Why not just see what it was." It was from my friend and sister in Christ, Trish. It was a hurricane prayer! It mentioned the calming of the Sea of Galilee and put in my mind the many other times God stepped in to intervene in natural occurrences. Peace replaced the cold blood in my veins.

As a quirky side note, on Thursday afternoon, Pete found a baby gator under his shed! Now if you go back in the bottoms, sometimes you run across one here.....but this ain't Florida folks. They don't just wonder across your yard here! He searched diligently for a Mama.....no sign of one. So, we placed the little mad fellow in a wire cage and made him a guest.

There is more to come about the peace of Christ in the midst of a storm, the power of a prayer, and the faithfulness to do what God is leading you to do, no matter how small it seems. But that was Friday.....actually the wee hours of Saturday....as we huddled and watched and rode out the worst thing any one of any age can remember in these parts.

KFDM - Local station with news of how things are in our area and a Rita Photo gallery.

Today I leave you with a copy of sister Trish's prayer.

I would like to share this prayer that I found today for our nation during this hurricane season. May God bless each of you and keep you and your families safe. Hugs, Trish :) P.S. Barbara I am praying for you and your family. Let us know how you are when you can. God bless you We love you. :) O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Father God I am so very grateful that You are all knowing and all things have to submit to You. I pray Lord God for mercy for these in the hurricane areas. Father I pray that we as a nation of people will once again turn to You and say You are God!
Father I pray for good to come out of all this devastation. I pray for souls to be saved, I pray for spiritual health of this nation and the world. I pray we will lift Your name on high and put Jesus back on the throne instead of all our other gods we have tried to put on His throne.
May our people and our nation be healed and back under Your protection Father God. In Jesus name. I pray we completely surrender to You and spare ourselves from more destruction. Amen!

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jeremiah 29:12