Have you ever been powerless? We have. During hurricane Irma we were without power for four days. Paulette’s sister and her husband live in Summerfield, and we had them come up and stay with us during the storm until their power came back eight days later. It was frustrating to have no power, but at the end we felt very fortunate. Our only serious damage was having to clean out the spoiled food from two refrigerators; after eight days Paulette’s sister’s food was especially pungent. On the positive side we had eight days of good company. We were also blessed by our neighbors across the street, who had a small generator; each morning that we were without power they brought us a thermos of hot coffee. Hurricane coffee is the best!

There are times when we feel powerless in our personal and religious lives – even to the point of depression. Those are the times when we need to have faith that He will strengthen us in the many ways that He can: through trained professionals, through friends and family, by removing burdens, and by giving us coping mechanisms. Prayer and meditation can help us feel comforted. Reading scripture like Isaiah 41:10 can remind us of His promises. It reads

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Many of the Psalms sing of his loving support; for an example, read Psalm 121:1-4 and remember that God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim