"I know that many prayers of desperation have reached the throne of God. I know He hears every one of them, and has compassion and love towards all of us." Kathy Spampinato

Last week I wrote about the preparations needed to face the storms of life. Hurricane Ian did arrive as anticipated, and was as destructive and violent as can be imagined. I was one of the fortunate ones who had minimal damage. We just had lots of leaves and branches to clean up, and our neighborhood has many trees down. We are only about 50 miles north of the worst hit areas, and yet we didn't even lose our power.

It is hard to know what to say about the devastation that thousands are facing. They lost loved ones, homes, all their photos and belongings, as well as their feeling of safety. Many will not ever be able to return to their homes, and really do not know what to do or where to go. Living in that situation is hard to imagine. I don't want to offer shallow thoughts or even pretend to know what it feels like to lose so much, so suddenly. I am feeling very grateful for my home, my family, and my safety. I know that many prayers of desperation have reached the throne of God. I know He hears every one of them, and has compassion and love towards all of us. Only He can understand why one house is intact and the next is just gone.

I have a problem with the Insurance Industry when they call hurricanes, floods and earthquakes "acts of God". Often they designate that they, the insurers, are not responsible for disasters, as if God were choosing who to bless and who to hit with devastation. They assume God is watching from heaven with ill intent and choosing who will suffer His wrath. In Matthew 5:45, as part of the sermon on the mount, Jesus talks about the Father. "He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." This means that the provision of sun and rain will arrive for every farmer. God does not withhold love or provision as payment for our good or bad behavior. We cannot earn His love or salvation. They are freely given. Yet, when disaster strikes we still want to understand "why me God?" There are many things that just come with living on this earth. Today many are asking why they were hit so badly, and others asking why they escaped the damage. These questions are not going to be answered clearly. We need comfort and a way to put our minds to rest.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 states: "All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out on us."

Verses 6-7 continue: "If troubles weigh us down, that just means that we will receive even more comfort to pass on to you for your deliverance! For the comfort pouring into us empowers us to bring comfort to you. And with this comfort upholding you, you can endure victoriously the same suffering that we experience. Now our hope for you is unshakable, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings you will also share God's comforting strength."

This comfort from God is real and tangible, but is offered in many ways. We have spent many hours raking in our own yard since the hurricane struck, but have also volunteered to help those harder hit. My husband has volunteered for storm clean-up, and we spent yesterday doing meal prep for First Responders and survivors. A crew from 3 different states set up a huge portable kitchen in our church parking lot. We helped plate food, stack meals and deliver them to a community center that was a focal point for recovery. The town still had no power and many crews were working to restore it. There were families seeking food, water, and clothing. There were county, state, and national relief efforts continuing. It felt great to be doing what we could to help. The organization we volunteered for had served 12,000 meals from Friday- Sunday, and were set to cook 6200 more meals on Monday.

I know your hearts are wanting to do something to help the survivors of this Hurricane, but perhaps you don't live in Florida. Please be aware that you can contribute. You can offer prayers, donations, love and comfort that will make a real difference in someone's life. The trials you have been through have prepared you to offer empathy to those who are suffering now. Please ask God to fill you with the compassion to reach out and bring help and comfort to someone else. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 "And everything I've taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!" Now go out and offer hope. Make a difference in someone's life!