Mandatory Evacuations and Sheltering in Place

O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. (Isaiah 54:11-14 ESV)

At the time of this writing the path of Hurricane Dorian is still uncertain, though the best models seem to predict it will skirt the Florida coast and move north toward the Carolinas. With that news the officials of Palm Beach County, Florida, have ordered a mandatory evacuation for parts of the county and a shelter in place order for those living in the western parts of the county. I begin with that news because my son, David, and his family live there. Dorian has become a Category 5 storm, slamming into the Bahamas with winds upward of 175 mph. David has made all the preparations necessary. Their home is as hurricane proof as possible. They have corrugated steel panels that have been placed over all the windows and glass doors. They have secured water and food, batteries, a generator with extra fuel, and are ready to “hunker down” as they are being told by the authorities. I have lived through one of those “sheltering in place.” In 1961, Hurricane Carla made its way onshore and hit Galveston with recorded winds of 171 mph. The rains were torrential and the flooding covering the island. I remember well sitting in my bedroom on the second floor of our home watching the debris carried by the winds with such force they exploded anything in their path. Palm trees were uprooted and blown down, houses were destroyed, and the devastation was incredible. The most interesting thing was that I was not the least bit frightened. My Dad told me it was all going to be fine and the storm would blow over soon. When storms are raging in your life, you must grab a hold of your heavenly Father. He is your refuge, your shelter, the only secure, safe place. He is the bright ray of sunshine in any storm that comes your way. Think of the enemy as the storm and you are a ship out at sea in the whirlwind of the storm. You are being tossed by the waves, which represent anything that is thrown at you to bring you turmoil. You see a light ahead from the lighthouse, who is Jesus your Rescuer, to guide you to safety. You begin to sense the calm inside of you. The fear leaves, and you have the needed hope to weather this storm. This is the wisdom of spiritually “sheltering in place.” If you need to evacuate, the Lord has already taken care of that as well. Trust Him for all your storms in life!