Hurricane Irma

I am sitting here listening to the rain. Any other day, I wouldn't think twice about it. Florida Summer storms, no biggie... But this is the beggining of whatever Irma is bringing our way,
so it's a little unnerving.

We are prepared.  Honestly, I haven't been that worried. I am at the place where I accepted that we have done all we can and now we just have to give it to God. This is something that really isn't that easy to do. But, what I haven't quite given up is the concern for AFTER. What damage are we going to have? how long will the power be out? So... I am working on being able to get to the place where I can let go of the worry.

So, how can I do that? I have to trust God. And one way that helps me do that is to look back and see how He has been in control in previous storms. No, I am not talking about a hurricane. The storms in my life the last decade...

God was in control when my son decided he didn't want anything to do with his parents and left on his 18th birthday. My heart was shattered. There were times I couldn't catch my breath, I hurt so bad. But God was with me the whole time. Even when I kept asking why this was happening. It took a few months, but different circumstances brought our son back to us a few months later. And a couple of years after that, he came to live with us in Texas for 2 years. God was faithful.

God was in control when my daughter almost died after delivering her baby girl. It was a horrible time. And then she had a couple of months where she thought she was never going to feel 'normal' again. But God was there all along. He is faithful. She recovered, went back to work, got married and had another baby, a beautiful baby boy. And that pregnancy/delivery was danger free.

God was in control when we moved back from Texas and Mom was with us. She really did not want to live with us but go back to Tampa, which was over an hour away. Her health was poor, and living that far from us was not a good idea. Again, through different circumstances, the opportunity to move to Tampa closed and she had to stay with us. A year later she passed away. It was not easy for her or for me. But God was faithful and helped us walk through a very difficult time.

So, if God can take care of a wayward son, a near death experience of my daughter, and deal with my difficult, head strong mother, He can most definitely handle Irma. Will He spare us damage? I don't know. Will I understand why He didn't? Probably not. But what I DO know is that He has a purpose for everything He does.

I heard not long ago the phrase "When You Can't See God's Hand Working, Trust His Heart"

SO, I am going to do that. Will I falter and take my eyes off Him? Maybe, probably. But that doesn't mean God will.

I am looking forward to what He is going to do with this mess. And I don't mean the hurricane. I mean ME  :)