Third strike?

Since moving to the Florida Keys I have successfully dodged two major hurricanes, Charley and Frances. To date I have had much inconvenience, considerable expense, yet no damage. Now “Ivan the terrible” is on the way. It is following a path taken by Charley and is forecast to go over the Keys. I left yesterday as men were scurrying around all over my house putting up plywood, storing lawn furniture, and battening down the hatches. Obviously I have been thinking about my house, dock, boats, and furniture, wondering whether or not they would be there after this dangerous storm passes through. I told my wife on the way to the airport that if it hits and destroys our house, it will be similar to dying. How so? She replied. It will wipe out practically every possession we have spent a lifetime accumulating. When we die, it will be similar. We will not have any earthly possessions. This kind of puts possessions and their importance in the big scheme of things into perspective does it not?

As we were leaving for the airport, one of the workers asked me to take him with me. He was joking but I could not help but seriously reflect on what would happen to this guy and his fellow workers. Most of them live in trailers and unsafe little houses that could be totally destroyed in a major hurricane like this one. Indeed many of the deaths that occur in hurricanes are from people staying over in unsafe homes and not evacuating. I encouraged them to leave, but they stated they needed the work too badly, having already missed too much time with the two previous hurricanes. They said they had bills to pay and needed to put food on the table.

Possessions can be replaced and we should not place so much emphasis on them. We have all heard that “what the Lord gives He can take away”, but I say He can then turn right around and give them back… and then some. I have personally experienced His generosity in that regard. My advice to these guys was to secure their homes and possessions as best they can and then get their families out of harm’s way to safety. There will be plenty of work for skilled and unskilled workers rebuilding and cleaning up after it passes and feeding their families and/or replacing possessions will not be a problem. I do not know whether Ivan will be the third strike and destroy my home or not. If so, I intend to take it in stride and will rebuild as necessary. I’m too old to get too excited by the possibility of losing possessions, (fishing rods, lures, and terminal tackle excluded).

Please join me in praying for those whose very lives are in danger by this dangerous storm. God hears prayer and the Bible has many instances where people were spared when serious prayer was offered up to Him.
Pray that lives will not be lost in this dangerous, dangerous storm…


Jonah 4:2

…For I know that You are

a gracious and merciful God, slow

to anger and abundant in loving-kindness,

One who relents from

doing harm.

How well do you know the Bible?

Jonah preached to some people in a certain city and turned them into believers. They covered themselves in ashes and sackcloth and prayed for forgiveness, thereby preventing an impending disaster that God had said He was going to bring upon them. What city was spared God’s impending disaster?

Jonah 3:1-10



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