Now that Hurricane Idalia is behind us, we can breathe a sigh of relief and give thanks to God that at least we in Ocala weathered the storm with few significant losses. I am certain that before, during and after, most of us offered up prayers for everyone’s safety.  We prepared ourselves for what might come with sand bags, extra water and food supplies, carried in things from our yards that may have become projectiles and maybe even boarded up our windows. As the saying goes, “We can’t control the wind but we can adjust the sails” meaning we can be proactive in helping ourselves, but we know that the Lord is ultimately in control.

In all times we need to be aware that others do not have it as easy as most of us. This is true not just in times of storms like we just experienced, but in all aspects of life. I recently read this excerpt adapted from a quote by Damian Barr. We should be aware that we are not all in the same boat. We are in the same storm. Some of us have yachts, some of us have sailboats, some of us have canoes, and some are drowning. Just be kind and help whoever you can.

Now that the storm has passed, there will be a need to help others who were not as fortunate as we were. First of all, we can pray for them as they move forward in their lives, dealing with whatever blow the storm may have dealt them.  If we are physically able, we can help them with our own hands to rebuild whatever may have been damaged and of course we can give from our abundance to support them financially in ways that are needed. Being kind and helping others is something we do have control over. In Galatians 6:2 we are told to  Bear one another’s  burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

When change and turmoil is upon us, God remains steadfast, faithful, and dependable with His unconditional love.  He is our Anchor in whatever boat we find ourselves and keeps us grounded in the unseen but eternal truths we build our lives upon. Thanks be to God.

Patty