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Hurricane Helene was devastating! Over one hundred people lost their lives. Thousands were injured. Tens of thousands lost their homes, businesses, and property. Millions were left without power and/or water. A few cities were essentially swept away in the raging torrents. Untold numbers of lives were shattered. Could there possibly be a message in all of this? Find out.

I am sitting here typing this on Monday morning, three days after the storm. I am doing so in my car 25 miles from home where there is electricity and cell service. Where I live there is neither. So many families have been left in the dark. In our area power has been out for at least 72 hours and the power company says it may not be restored for a week. Fortunately, and thankfully, we are blessed to have a generator.

The Carolinas, where we live, like so many other communities in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and a few other states, were buffeted by hurricane and tropical force winds and pounded by over a foot of rain. A few areas received over three feet of rain. The result here in the mountains, has weather forecasters calling this a once in 500-year storm.

We were one of the lucky one. We did have a large tree fall onto our house causing substantial damage and leaving six-foot hole in our roof for rain to pour in. Thankfully no one was hurt. My wife and I have put a tarp in the attic to mitigate further problems until such times as the damage can be repaired. We are without electric service, cell service and internet access, but we are safe, and the property damage can be fixed.

Around us, the cities of Asheville, and Hendersonville where we attend church, were hit much harder and sustained massive flooding. They are without both power and water. The nearby town of Chimney Rock, NC was all but swept away by the turbulent river.

Okay, where is the message in this? Storms are a part of life. By this I do not just mean physical storms, but psychological and spiritual storms as well. It would be rare and unusual to make it through life without them. So how can we be prepared when they come our way….and they will come? Jesus gives us that answer.

You have all seen pictures of weather reporters with their raincoats on, buffeted by sideways rain, and hurricane force winds. You have also seen the pictures a day later and the sun is shining, and the storms have passed. There is always a day after. On Saturday morning, just 24 hours after the worst of the storm, we had a beautiful sunrise and a beautiful day. Yes, there is always a day after the storm.

Some today are mourning the loss of loved ones. They are experiencing overwhelming grief. Others have been left homeless, and still others have lost their livelihoods. Many are, no doubt, still in shock. Yet, life goes on.

Perhaps, as you read this, you were unaffected by Hurricane Helene, but you are suffering from the impact of a different storm in your life. Your storm, whether psychological, or spiritual can be equally as devasting. The result is the same. Life must go on.

So how are we to cope? Who do we turn to at times like this. For Christians, the answer is simple. We turn to Jesus Christ. I often wonder how people without faith cope with the storms of life. I cannot imagine facing tough times without Jesus.

So, what does Bible say? In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus said, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” Then, later in Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Therefore, no matter what storms come our way, we have the assurance that if we listen to the words of Jesus and act on them, He will be the rock on which our faith is built, and he will never abandon us. In Him we find our strength, even in the most trying times.

My prayers are with everyone who is enduring the aftermath of Helene or any other storm. Cleanup after a storm takes time. Everyone grieves differently. Jesus never leaves us. He promises to be the rock to which we can cling.

If, at this time, you were not impacted by Helene, and you are not experiencing any personal storms, I encourage you give thanks to God and I implore you to pray for those who a reeling from these storms. Pray for healing and recovery. Pray for peace and comfort. Pray for the restoration of their shattered lives. Pray that no one loses hope. Pray that you will be prepared when storms do come your way. And finally, pray for a brighter day!

Heavenly Father, so many people are hurting, grieving and suffering great losses. Be near them, comfort them and grant them the strength to cling to Jesus our rock. Amen!

AMDG 

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Brian Pusateri

Brian is a Christian author and speaker. Brian, a lifelong Catholic, felt his life was forever changed when God spoke to his heart while attending an eight day silent Christian retreat in November of 2011. Soon after that retreat Brian founded 4th Day Letters and Broken Door Ministries. With the God inspired message of mercy and unconditional love that was placed on his heart during that retreat, Brian has been impacting others all over the country and around the world with his weekly letters, his talks, and his all day Christian retreats. In June of 2014, Brian’s life was again impacted in a very dramatic way when his eyesight suddenly became permanently impaired. The initial diagnosis was Multiple Scleroses (MS) but in December of 2019 the diagnosis was corrected to MOG antibody disease, a rare neurological disease. This health challenge has only served to draw Brian closer to God and bolster the importance of this timely yet ageless message.

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