When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
—Isaiah 43:2
As I write this, it looks like the Eastern Shore will be spared the worst of Hurricane Florence, (or Flo, as I’ve come to call her this week). I’m praying for the people of the Carolinas who seem to be receiving that ‘worst.’ I’m expecting that the United Methodist disaster response efforts, through UMCOR (UM Committee on Relief) and UMVIM (UM Volunteers in Mission), which would have come here if Flo had turned our way, will now be headed south. And I know that United Methodists here will be generous in their support of these efforts. (Look for special giving opportunities in the next week.)
We did have an epic downpour on Sunday night here. Roads in the Belle Haven area washed out. Our camp director, Michael Henry, his wife, Alison, and son, Isaiah, had a harrowing, multi-hour trip back to Occohannock on the Bay that night through the pouring rain. Also, high tides this week flooded Tangier, Wachapreague, and other low-lying areas.
Incidents like these remind us that we live on a small, strip of sand on the verge of a great, vast ocean. Most days I don’t take the ground beneath my feet for granted, but when I see the power of the wind and water, I marvel that we can live so many days without thinking about whether the weather will threaten our lives and our homes.
There’s a measure of grace in each day. There are things we can trust. Most days we get to live without thinking about the dangers and we receive what we need. God will provide and God does.
And when the hurricanes come, as they will…when the storms of life are raging…God will stand by us. Islands may shift, property may be lost, but didn’t we get to discover again this week that we are bound together more in the face of such dangers? And didn’t we lean into our prayers a little harder?
Whatever Flo may bring, I want to trust that the God who calmed the waters of Galilee and piled up the currents of the Jordan and the waves of the Red Sea is still present in the storm. And I give thanks for the connection of United Methodists who answer the call when there is a need and remember the promise of Song of Songs: “Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it.” [8:7]
Heartlands 