Peace In The Midst Of The Storm

I wonder how many posts have been made on blogs about Hurricane Irene? I'm going to add mine as well. No pictures (although I have some), just thoughts.

We all probably have different views of the fierce lady who visited North Carolina & the states north of us. She left her mark on the homes & lives of many people, many of my friends. My heart goes out to each of them and my prayers are with them all.

As a child we lived in a flood zone. When a hurricane was coming into our area, we would put our furniture up on cement blocks, saw horses & planks, anything to keep it out of the river water's reach. Then we would stay with relatives who lived in a higher area till the storm was over. I was so afraid back then, but never once did the water come into our home. It had flooded that area many times before we moved there. It has flooded it many times since we lived there, and during the hurricanes Bertha & Fran it devastated the area. I don't know why God held back the waters when He did. I don't know why He released them when He did. That is for His infinite wisdom.

I was really not afraid during this storm, even though there are some huge trees next door to us. Irene just seemed to go on and on.  Her relentless pounding! I stood in the doorway between my kitchen and living room, looking out the back windows at the sweeping rain, every tree & bush in sight swaying. I have to tell you, I was mesmerized. I don't even know how long I stood there, lost in the power of what was going on all around me. Even though the trees were being whipped by wind & rain, there was almost a gracefulness to their motion. I'm sure there are many who would say if I'd seen it from their view, I wouldn't feel that way. I'm sure they are right. But from where I stood, it was an awesome thing to see.  I knew that God was in control. I knew that only three words were needed, "Peace, be still." You may be asking yourself, "Why didn't God speak them?". Oh, but He did. He spoke them to me. My soul was completely at peace.

I don't know what the next storm might bring, and there will be more storms. If you choose to live in eastern North Carolina you will go through storms. No matter what the outcome, I only need those three little words to calm my soul in the midst of the storm. "Peace, be still."