Are you a hurricane watcher or a hurricane worrier?
Living in South Alabama you learn to deal with hurricanes. Do we leave or do we stay? Do we board up or do we sit on the front porch? Do we buy beanie weenies and gallons of water or do we wing it with whatever is in the fridge? When I was growing up, living in Foley, my mother made sure we went North if there was even a Tropical Storm headed to the Gulf. And by North I mean Covington County. And by Tropical Storm I mean thuderstorm.

My mom was and still is the self appointed weather watcher for our family. As an adult, she would call me….250 miles away and asked did I know there was a storm warning in my area. And Lord forbid there was actually a tornado watch or warning!!!! She would wake me in the middle of the night to tell me to get in the closet. Of course I reassured her that I would wake up my husband and three kids and the dog and get in my tiny closet…..and then I absolutely rolled over and went back to sleep. Thankfully God was good and spared us from getting blown away in our sleep. (I would have never heard the end of it!)
I guess it wasn’t all her fault she was like this. Her grandmother traumatized her as as child. She would gather the kids if the wind picked up or a cloud covered the sun, and make them sit in the middle of the bed. Now, I am not sure of the logic in this. The simple fact that the frame and springs were all metal kind of makes me wonder…. Maybe they were suppose to hold tight to the mattress if the house got blown away and pray they didn’t get struck by lightening …who knows.
But needless to say Mom came by her fears honestly.
She is definitely a weather worrier.
Today we have sat around, eating, watching TV, eating, playing with the dogs, eating, cleaning, and finally…eating. All while waiting for Hurricane Sally. Waiting and worrying. But as I write these words I am reminded of Gods word to His children.
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
It is so easy to let your circumstances or your surroundings determine how you feel. Especially when Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel is in your neighborhood. But God reminds us even in these unknown times, such as pandemics, racial tensions, political chaos and environmental disasters, He has already won this war. John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have OVERCOME the world.” And with that I leave y’all with it as Sally slowly comes ashore right down the road. Good night. (I will give Mom y’all’s number) 😉