The news announced a massive hurricane heading our way.
Naturally, my husband Jim was away on military orders. My five children,
including two-year-old Daniel, followed my orders to prepare. The news also
told people in our area code to remain home to allow others road access to move
out of danger.
Alas, the storm turned and headed directly toward us. I gathered
my children in my over-sized closet on mattresses on the floor. We read from
the Bible and prayed throughout the night. Around 5 am I read about Jesus
calming the storm and prayed. All the crashing and other noises stopped.
Silence reigned, until my oldest son Michael piped up, “Mom, you should have
read that one first.”
We laughed and then got into action. I took my two teens
to check the house. We discovered quite a mess. The doors had blown open and
water filled the sunken living room, wind shoved furniture into piles, and
broken glass floated in the water.
I look back
and realize that God used that time to strengthen my children. I needed to depend
on them in the days Jim could not get a flight home. We worked from morning
until night and then gathered in my bedroom as we laughed about silly things
like the one tiny picture that remained on the wall and the socks in a drawer
coloring all Darlene’s underwear from the water that seeped in.
We studied
Nehemiah as a family in the months following the storm. I watched their
confidence and compassion grow. They reached out and all but my toddler helped
with people displaced to tent cities. Michael led a group of scouts to restore
a park damaged by the hurricane. Rebecca stayed with a friend to allow a family
to stay in her room while my other children doubled up since the storm had destroyed two bedrooms.
They became strong adults who can
face adversity and trust God to be their strength.
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| The Whiting Home after repairs from the hurricane. |
ABOUT KAREN WHITING
Author Karen Whiting is an international speaker, former television host, and award-winning author of eighteen books for children, women, and families and more than six hundred articles for more than sixty publications. She loves to let creativity splash over the pages she writes. Karen writes for Leading Hearts and Molly Green Magazines. (www.karenwhiting.com)
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