Hurricane Ike

In the week following our return home from Gustav we had to pay attention to another hurricane - Ike. Fortunately for us (but not for others) Ike turned away. We did suffer a couple of windy days. When we went out we could see some lines down, but we didn't lose power. Unfortunately that wasn't the case everywhere. There were parts of Louisiana, and of course Texas, that got hit hard. Surprisingly enough many of our friends and family in Ohio were affected by Ike much worse than we were. They had very bad winds that brought down many trees and limbs, and they lost power. My parents were out of power for a couple of days.

These experiences have taught me some lessons, and caused me to think. One basic lesson we learned was not to leave any set mouse traps when we evacuate. We usually have a trap or two set to catch our somewhat frequent pantry visitors. When we left, mouse traps were the last thing on our mind. We caught a mouse while we were away, and it didn't smell very nice upon our return. Add that to the checklist. Another thing we learned is that during an evacuation and/or storm cell phones don't always work. Some friends and family that tried to call got a little worried because they couldn't get through. Another lesson learned (and item to add to the checklist) is to bring the box of outside toys in before the storm. The lid blew off and the box was almost full to the top with water. A few toys like the sidewalk chalk didn't survive, and everything else needed to be dried out.

Before moving here I was aware of hurricanes, and when I heard about one I would pray for the people in its path. Now that I have gone through it I have much more of a passion about it. This actually applies not just to hurricanes, but to any disaster. Having experienced firsthand having to evacuate, not knowing what will happen, and being without something as basic as power for an extended period of time has given me a new appreciation for what others have gone through, and will go through. Then I think about other countries that are not near as well off as ours. How much harder things must be for them. When we first moved here many people thought we were crazy. I don't think they would have thought the same if we had stayed in Ohio, or another part of the Midwest, or gone to Texas. However, in the time that we have been here disasters have struck each of these areas too. We are not truly safe anywhere, except in the hands of God!

I am also keenly aware of the many people all over the country who are struggling financially now. We are one of them. There are so many people one or two paychecks from disaster. An evacuation (gas + lodging), or even having to replace food lost to a power outage can be devastating. If ever there was a time for each of us to help one another, now is the time! What can each of us do to help encourage someone else?

Michele