The word storm is used 42 times in the NIV Bible, 19 in the New King James, 17 in the King James. No matter how many times the word is written, we know storms are a part of our everyday life.
One of the best-known storm stories is found in Luke 8 and Mark 4. The disciples were following Jesus’ instructions. They got in the boat and set out. Jesus fell asleep. Out of nowhere, a storm came. When things got out of hand, they fell apart – fearful and doubting, even though Jesus was with them the whole time. On an ordinary day, trouble came for the disciples.
Both accounts report that a furious squall came up. It’s fair to say something like a furious squall came up in eastern Kentucky a few days ago. Rivers overflowed their banks, plowing a path in places it never had before.
Luke 8:23 tells us the boat was being swamped and they were in great danger. This week here in the mountains, people’s homes were being swamped with dark brown flood water. Many were surrounded, trapped inside. They, too, were in danger.
We are no stranger to storms. We live in the valleys, by the creeks, by the rivers. When the water begins to rise, so does the level of fear. Fear of losing homes. Fear of death.
Outsiders often wonder why those who have been flooded choose to stay. People stay because it’s the property they or their family owns. Most have no other options. They survive and rebuild as best they can.
On Saturday night, a small army from our church made hundreds of sandbags to help one of our families protect their home from the raging water. We fell asleep praying the river would crest lower than expected. It did not.
On Sunday, some of the water had receded. We helped other friends clean up the aftermath. The flood mud that remained was a cross between fudge and chocolate pudding – hard to get up with a shop vac. My beloved sloshed buckets of water to loosen the thick sludge. We shop-vac-ed the first layer, squeegeed, mopped, changed the bleach water, and mopped again. The process was repeated over and over. (I was reminded why Clorox is always requested after floods.) We worked for hours clearing a few feet at a time. Every paper, every possession had to be looked at and decided upon.
Flood recovery is overwhelming and too much do alone. Family, friends, even strangers rally to help, clean, encourage.
In Isaiah 43:2-3, we can be reminded of God’s promise and presence even when we can’t see it, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” It doesn’t say if we will pass through the waters, but when.
The disciples woke Jesus in a panic, “Don’t you care if we drown?” Of course He cared. They were just scared and cried out. There were two storms going on: the one outside and the one inside the disciples. Jesus got up and calmed them both. He can still do that today.
As we prayed for the rain to stop this week, I thought of those in California who were affected by the wildfires and then the hurricane damage in North Carolina and Tennessee. Just this morning, it has snowed 3 inches, hindering the flood cleanup. Wildfires, hurricanes, floods, heavy snow. Storms of all kinds, but God will help us through each one.