Today's Sunday Morning Coming Down is likely to be my last on-line blog for a while. The weather prognosticators have finally brought the storm near enough that it would take a very special miracle for it to miss Florida and this one is huge, so it will rake the state from Gulf to Atlantic as it moves north. But when you decide to live in a tropical paradise which is a long peninsula, jutting out between two very warm bodies of water, hurricanes are something that you must expect. It just comes with the territory.
God teaches us that there are consequences for how we live. Consequences related to where we live, how we conduct our lives and what we give of ourselves in our quest to be like Him. And we are human, so we make mistakes and God sometimes uses our mistakes as a teaching point. But while this storm can be both deadly and frightening, if we use our time wisely while we await it's arrival, we can ready ourselves in such a way that we can deal with it. Sure, we can lose our home and suffer from many inconveniences, but life itself can be maintained if we prepare for what is coming.
In the last several days, I have checked our supply list, made sure we have ample food and water, have secured our many animals and have cleared all things that could become a deadly missile in a storm. I've paid all bills early since Bill Pay will likely be out of commission and we also made improvements to our home last year to make it storm ready. So what if we have to live without air conditioning and electricity for a few days, we've even done all the laundry so that the hamper is empty. We can make it for months if we have to; it might not be fun but we can do it.
And in this same spirit, that's what God wants us to do in our spiritual life as well. Be ready for the storm, the storm that is evil and is all about us. God wants us to be strong, handle the temptations and just say no when we know it's not right. As a result, not only will we live, but we'll inherit His Kingdom and live forever.
But in closing I must confess that I will miss my conversation with so many of you in the days of localized darkness that we are likely to face. And, of course, the release of my new book will be delayed because without the miracle of electronics, I can't finish my work in final form. Local utilities tell us that due to the size of this storm, nearly nine million citizens in the Sunshine State will be without power when all is done. That's nearly half of the population of Florida and since I live in a rural area, I will be one of the last to have service restored. And that is one of the consequences of making the living choice that my wife and I made. So, if you don't hear from me for a while, just know that when the lights come back on, I'll be back atcha' soon. God bless you all, be safe and resolute in all that you do, and I'll be in touch when I can. See 'ya.
God teaches us that there are consequences for how we live. Consequences related to where we live, how we conduct our lives and what we give of ourselves in our quest to be like Him. And we are human, so we make mistakes and God sometimes uses our mistakes as a teaching point. But while this storm can be both deadly and frightening, if we use our time wisely while we await it's arrival, we can ready ourselves in such a way that we can deal with it. Sure, we can lose our home and suffer from many inconveniences, but life itself can be maintained if we prepare for what is coming.
In the last several days, I have checked our supply list, made sure we have ample food and water, have secured our many animals and have cleared all things that could become a deadly missile in a storm. I've paid all bills early since Bill Pay will likely be out of commission and we also made improvements to our home last year to make it storm ready. So what if we have to live without air conditioning and electricity for a few days, we've even done all the laundry so that the hamper is empty. We can make it for months if we have to; it might not be fun but we can do it.
And in this same spirit, that's what God wants us to do in our spiritual life as well. Be ready for the storm, the storm that is evil and is all about us. God wants us to be strong, handle the temptations and just say no when we know it's not right. As a result, not only will we live, but we'll inherit His Kingdom and live forever.
But in closing I must confess that I will miss my conversation with so many of you in the days of localized darkness that we are likely to face. And, of course, the release of my new book will be delayed because without the miracle of electronics, I can't finish my work in final form. Local utilities tell us that due to the size of this storm, nearly nine million citizens in the Sunshine State will be without power when all is done. That's nearly half of the population of Florida and since I live in a rural area, I will be one of the last to have service restored. And that is one of the consequences of making the living choice that my wife and I made. So, if you don't hear from me for a while, just know that when the lights come back on, I'll be back atcha' soon. God bless you all, be safe and resolute in all that you do, and I'll be in touch when I can. See 'ya.
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