One month ago I began work on a short novel that focused on a man who wanted to escape his life. In the beginning of the book, he is walking through his flooded house, recently devastated by a hurricane. Little did I know that I would be experiencing a hurricane within the next several weeks.
But while the main character of the book uses the storm as an opportunity to escape from his oppressed life, I found the hurricane a revealing insight into how much people love the lives that they are living. Many who were asked to evacuate decided to 'hunker down' and ride out the storm. They didn't want to leave their belongings, their comforts, their every day 'normal' moments. To leave was to surrender a large part of yourself to something out of your control - Hurricane Irma. Now that the winds have subsided and the waters are receding we feel blessed. Blessed in knowing that God has graciously bestowed on us these wonderful lives. Another moment of being reminded that we should never take these things for granted. I sit in my backyard and feel the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair. I watch the dragonflies dance over the pond and the anoles skitter happily in the bushes. And I thank God for his goodness, his great reminder of his mighty power, and his ability to provide peace before, during, and after a storm.
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