Category: Disaster

Every day of every year newscasters report the latest bad news of the day. Tornadoes. Floods. Fires.

Most often disasters occur far distant from our daily lives, so we can breathe a sigh of relief.

So we pray for the victims and we also thank God, especially if the "whatever" is far enough away to miss us and our family.

There's no place to hide from the seemingly endless procession of mystery viruses. The never-ending scary headlines. Unrest within these United States of America.

No wonder low-level fear lurks within us, waiting to spring. We do our best to tune it out and paste on a calm, happy face.

Then a fire destroys a home down the street. Thieves empty a neighbor's house. A drunk driver hits someone crossing the street and leaves the victim paralyzed.

Immediately our mind goes to That could be me! Or someone I love! We shudder and think, "Please, God, don't let that happen to me."

But sometimes it does.

What if what we dread hits too close to home to ignore?

Pink slips or a business that doesn't make it ends the paycheck(s) we counted on. A dream dies. A lab test reveals a life-threatening illness. Someone we love dies.

Once we stop reeling from the shock we realize there's no escaping this awful new reality.

And we cannot find one particle of good in any of it.

At times like that we may feel abandoned, as if our Heavenly Father loves every other person on the face of the earth but us. We know that's not true, but still, our pain and fear weigh us down.

Somehow, somehow we make it through one day after the other.

When tragedy threatens–or strikes–what keeps people going?

Counselors and TV personalities offer thousands of words of advice. Most of it boils down to, "Simply change the way you look at your situation. Visualize yourself as strong and fearless and refuse to think any negative thoughts."

Yeah, sure.

These "experts" would be out of business if any of us knew how to do this.

Yet we needn't dissolve into a puddle of fear. Strength that goes way beyond our own is available at any time.

God's strength.

Peace-in-the-midst is as available as the air we breathe

The best antidote to fear–and the only one I ever found that works–is to fill my mind with Bible verses like these. I repeat them over to myself, aloud or silently. Here are a few I love:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:2

In good times or bad, we are not alone

And we are not powerless. Jesus walks with us through whatever may come. Always. Every day. Every moment. Every second.

Yes, the horror may come near us. Tragedy of one sort or another may change our lives, simply because we are human beings and we live in this imperfect world. We may feel we have no strength–physical, mental or emotional–to go on.

That's the time to hang onto Bible verses like this:

… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37.

As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, whatever comes will not destroy us.

Count on it.

Count on it!

Trusting, too,

Lenore

You Can Stay Strong If Disaster Comes

May 28, 2024
If someone in a neon-green jacket pounded on your door and shouted, "Get out now!" what would you want to take with you?

Did you answer, "The people I love?" Me, too.

Who is ever ready for that?

Thousands of Texans lived out that scenario in the last few days as the slow-moving disaster associated with Tropical Storm Harvey grinds on.

We can't take our eyes off the surreal footage from Texas.

Our hearts ache as we imagine their pain. Their loss. Not only of possessions but of security. Their deep sadness as reality sinks in. What was will never be the same again. Even after the rain stops.

Never ever.

Are we ghouls who love to witness destruction?

Uh-uh. I think it's also the power of that little voice inside that asks, What if that were me? Am I strong enough to survive? To deal with whatever comes?

Then comes the thought that makes us feel guilty: Thank God that's not me.

At least, not this time.

One thing we know for sure. Into every life rain will fall and storms arise. Each of us will face event(s) or situations that feel like a personal tragedy.

That's life in this fallen world.

Texas Gov. Abbott said on-camera that we all deal with challenges, but what defines our lives is how we respond to our challenges.

He ought to know. At age 26, Abbott was out running and a falling oak tree left him partially paralyzed. He's been in a wheelchair ever since.

Each of us has our own definition of "tragedy." How we respond will depend on who we are and what we stand on. What we believe.

Where do we find hope when the waters are rising all around us?

Phrases from an old hymn seem penned for the misery going on right now in Texas:

"My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness . . .

"His oath, His covenant, and blood Support me in the whelming flood . . .

"On Christ, the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand."

Rescue may not fully come and yet we must go on. That huge oak tree crushed Greg Abbott's spine. Despite skilled surgeons and rods of steel he could not walk again.

Losses comes in a variety of ways. A loved one dies and no amount of grieving restores life.

A job goes bye-bye or a business goes bust and we lose what we've known as "everything."

All we can do is watch and pray as our "normal" crumbles around us.

What we have is a Rock to stand on

Shelter in our storms. Refuge in our floods. Strong arms to hold us up when we falter.

The sure knowledge in our hearts and minds and yes, in our souls, that we are not hurting alone. Our Lord sees and hears and hurts with us.

After all, didn't He watch His Son suffer and die on the cross?

Didn't Jesus weep when his friend died?

"When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay."

The striking fact is how often these people in Harvey's wake speak of praying. Of trusting God to take care of them. Of "doing unto others, as the Bible tells us to do."

These are people who are standing on the Rock because they know Him–and they witness of Jesus Christ to the watching world.

Looking at Texas prompts us to consider our lives

It's good if we do so once in awhile, just to help us keep a balanced view of what really matters in life. Survivors almost always echo the same thought: "Our family is safe and that's all that matters. Somehow we'll get through this."

If that's true for adults, how much more for children.

To a child, Mom and Dad themselves are home and security. It's like the saying on gift shop plaques that reads:

"Home is wherever I am with you."

That's the bottom line for parents and kids and for all family members.

"Things" are not what makes for a good life. To know that's true all we have to do is check out the lives of the rich and famous

Right perspective restored

Whatever the situation, whatever our personal tragedy may be, if those we love are okay and we know our loving Father is watching over us, we are safe and secure.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Texan or not, even in the midst of trouble we have reason to give thanks. Life may never be the same and yes, it may be hard. But it is good because we possess what matters most. Life itself is a gift.

Be at peace, my friend,

Lenore

How to get through tragedy when it comes your way

August 30, 2017
Tornado roars through Moore, Oklahoma. How would we cope if this was where we used to live?

Imagine coming back to this.

Some residents returned to piles of rubble they couldn't see over.

Some found flat, empty spaces littered with debris. They could only trace in their minds where walls once stood.

All cried and hugged each other. Who wouldn't?

In memory their individual homes looked sweet and flawless, filled with precious possessions. The ordinary, boring routines of daily life transformed into cherished rituals.

Tragedy makes our vision clearer

How many interviews have you watched where Moore residents said something like, "Oh, it's all gone, but that doesn't matter. My family is okay. That's all that counts."

We forget that too easily, don't we?

Is it possible to possess that perspective without first suffering a tragedy?

I think we can. I think we must.

That's especially important for moms. In Moore, ten children died. Yes, the school children were with their teachers.

Even so, they faced their fears on their own.

That's life. Even young children spend most weekdays away from home. Older kids and teens, too. We moms can give them something indestructible to hang onto, whatever comes.

Something like this

First we teach our children they can talk to Jesus themselves. We stress that Jesus is with them, right here. Right now.

Songs are good, too. For generations godly moms and grandmas have been teaching, "Jesus Loves Me," to their little ones. Every Sunday School kid learns it, too. It goes like this:

Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me–He who died

Heaven's gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

–Anna B. Warner, in 1860, set to music by William Bradbury in 1862.

Picture one of those young children huddled down listening to the tornado roar down on them. Wouldn't repeating words like these over and over help them get through it?

We can't give away what we don't have

If we're to speak faith and confidence to our families and those around us we need to be equipped ourselves. We can store up verses like these so we'll have them ready to call up when we need them.

Here are some personal favorites:

*(God says) "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." –Psalm 59:15 (ESV)

*(Jesus says) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." –John 3:16

*(The Lord says) "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine . . . Do not be afraid, for I am with you . . . " –Isaiah 43:1, 5 (NIV)

Make verses like these part of our emergency kit

School kids in Moore had regular tornado drills. Let's take it one step further and aim to be emotionally and spiritually prepared for whatever comes–and our families, too.

Let's equip minds and spirits with what will carry us through.

Lovingly,

Lenore

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May 22, 2013
Twenty-four hour news sounds good, but there seems to be no escape.

The bad always outweighs the good, because every journalist knows that bad news sells.
It becomes the background noise of our life and fear seeps into our subconscious.

Think of the past few months. We can tune out faraway places, but what of the terror that comes closer to home?

Movie-goers get mowed down in a Colorado theatre. School children in Newtown. Every school and college is on high alert, because some lone shooter may be ready to open fire.

Then comes another Boston Marathon and what promised to be life returning to normal, even if just for a day. Then comes more horror. Bombs, killings and a major American City locked down in fear until the remaining shooter is found.

Next a solid, unexciting fertilizer plant suddenly explodes in a quiet town in Texas. The blast kills at least 14 people and injures 200 or more, devastating a large section of West, population 2,500.

That's Life in Twenty-first Century America

Parents fear for their children. Schools are on high alert.

Experts say to proect kids from viewing the violence. Parents ask how to do that when there's nothing else on television and every break carries a "teaser" for the news.

How do we reassure our children when we're quaking inside? Where do we dredge up confidence when we have none left to give?

The real question is, How do we live with this?

I have no answers on my own, but I know where to look.

In the Bible, of course. Hope and comfort thread through it from beginning to end. Take Psalm 121 for example, here from the New American Standard Bible:

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord willprotect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this day forward.

Let's take our cues from the Word instead of the news

Imagine if we read or spoke those words every morning instead of turning on the news to see what's happening now.

Suppose every night at bedtime we quietly repeated these beautiful words to our children. Before long they'll be speaking them with us. Instead of saying, "Have a good day," we could let this blessing echo in the minds of our families.

The point is if we regularly take in fear, we live out fear. Some of us have internalized this constant low-level anxiety for so long we think it's normal.

It's even worse for children, because they don't understand it and feel even more powerless than adults.

That's not the way we're meant to live.

In case you wonder, yes, I struggle with this, too. I can build a whole scenario on "What if . . . ?"

(I'm a writer, remember?)

Events of the past week remind us again that life holds risks and earthly protection sometimes fails. Our security rests in the One who watches over us and neither slumbers nor sleeps.

So we can live–and sleep–in peace.

Growing along with you and trusting the One who keeps us,

Lenore

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April 23, 2013
Nobody saw it coming. Catastrophes are like that.

This is the face of one woman in the aftermath of unimaginable horror, Japan's 9.0 earthquake and the devastating tsunami that quickly followed.

You and I have not lived what she experienced, but we know that face. We know those tears and those inner groans of, "Oh, please, not that!"

Our world can shake and crumble around us without an earthquake. We can be swamped and drowning without a tsunami.

All it takes is being given that diagnosis we never wanted to hear. Or a day when we wave goodbye to our husband or wife who never makes it home from work. A sports accident that turns our healthy, strong son or daughter into a paraplegic. The young adult child with so much potential who chooses a path we know will lead to unhappiness. The rumored pink slip that awaits us when we thought our job was safe. Home values that plummet and investments that tank when we thought we had saved up some money for the future.

Each of us has our own list. We watch, we cry, we pray. We scream, "Why?" into our long, sleepless nights. And we feel utterly helpless.

That's when we wear the same face as the woman in this photo, the face of fear and dread and hopelessness. She cannot escape her reality and neither can we.

But we can find refuge. Listen to the wonderful words of Psalm 46:1-3 and verse 7, followed by Isaiah 41:10:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging . . .

The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress . . .

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.

The hard truth of life is that we have no truly safe place here on this earth. No guarantees of a perfect life in this imperfect world.

No place to run except into the sheltering arms of God, who so loved the world that he sent his only Son to earth to die on a cross and live again. For you. For me.

In His strength we weather our storms and go on, leaning on the everlasting arms.

His peace,

Lenore

Where can we go when disaster strikes in our world?

March 14, 2011