I stumbled across an old journal entry today …
If it's true that hindsight is 20/20, the memories of a hurricane that left my family homeless for five months will only grow more valuable with time.
Hurricane Irene entry -
Every time it rains, we hold our breath and pray the walls don’t crack or give way to the water-logged earth around us. It’s been years but feels like only yesterday.
We still talk about the day we gathered by the window to watch water accumulate at the end of our little street, land-locking us inside our home.
Our yard had become a lake, surrounding our house on all four sides. Calls to the local police did little good, as they kept insisting we stay put and wait it out. We had little choice anyway.
The national guards finally arrived at our front door in a boat, escorting each of us onboard a military-looking motorboat. I tried to make light of the situation, searching for something to distract the kids from the fear I saw in their eyes.
Laughter replaced the eery silence when I slid a large sock over our dachshund's head to keep him from attacking our rescue team on board the boat. Looking to keep the laughter going, I pulled a black Sharpie from my duffle bag and drew two round circles on his sock-covered head where his eyes should have been.
We laughed hysterically and marveled that our little Goliath didn't seem to mind that white cotton sock pulled down over his head.
So we sailed down our street, sock-hooded mini-dachshund at the helm and our family of six in tow. Little did we know that the duffle bags we had carelessly stuffed with clothing would be our only possessions for months to come.
God was doing a work in the midst of that storm. We didn’t know it at the time, but as the fear subsided and we realized we were going to be okay, the lessons began to surface.
To this day, each one of the kids recount that “homeless season” as one of our best memories. God stopped the noise and daily grind for a few months and we found our family again…connection.
What has God done in your life that felt like your world was turning upside down in the moment, but later turned out to be gem-packed with insights, growth, and wisdom?
