“It is a mysterious thing how cheerful people become in the face of disaster. My father whistled as he boarded up the windows, and my mother from time to time would call to him happily out the back door. She obviously was enjoying the unusual pleasure of having him home on a weekday morning. Tomorrow they might be ruined or dead, today they had each other.” ―
As I talk with friends, it seems that almost everyone is getting back to normal after Hurricane Beryl “barreled” through here two weeks ago. The blessing of getting old is that time passes quicker. Seems like only yesterday that I was trying to sleep in the heat. Air conditioning has only been in widespread use throughout the U.S. since the 1960’s.
Finally got my yard put back in order today. Turns out it wasn’t the only one on my street that was out of order. Mine was the only one in the entire subdivision that remained a mess for two weeks! I’m thankful mine is at the end of a dead end street. So thankful for the guys that worked so hard on my yard today!
Met an older couple at an event on Tuesday who told me they lived in Kingwood and wouldn’t get power back until the end of the week. Two weeks after Hurricane Beryl. When feeling sorry for yourself, or complaining – remember, there’s always someone who’s got it worse. Find a way to empathize and encourage. I hope they’re all powered up now.
During the power loss and all my misery, I had a thought. That electricity is going to come back on again. Why am I so easily angered and upset? At this age/stage of life I ought to be able to endure hardship better than this. What about when I lose sight of God’s presence in my life? What about others who are experiencing this hardship at a deeper level? Why don’t I get so worked up about these? Disasters often reveal to us who we really are.
My insurance inspection happened this week. The night the hurricane blew over I was awoken by louder than expected dripping. On my bed. From my ceiling fan. I don’t think I paid for that extra feature. With deductibles the way they are, my house would need to have been blown into the Land of Oz for any payments. The expert on my roof determined the leak was NOT caused by the hurricane. That’s real expertise. BUT, as we were finishing up and being eaten alive by mosquitos, he asked (as an aside) if I had any spoiled food from the refrigerator. We made a list. He said it might be covered. That night I had a check electronically deposited in my bank. I’m going to count my blessings instead of being a grumpy old man.
“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” ―
Despite the heat and the mosquitos, maybe this is a good time to take a walk through your neighborhood and be friendly. A Harvard study recently reported that people who took a 20-minute walk, five times a week, had 43% less sick days. One leg of my walk takes me past the creek. All sorts of critters and bird calls as the sun is setting. Just don’t meander and get hit by a bike rider wearing ear buds. I’m trying to do a better job of paying attention as I walk, listen and pray. Attention outside and inside.
Predictions for this year are for an above average hurricane season. Hurricane Beryl was the first category 4 recorded in June and the earliest of that intensity ever recorded. Our utility company here in this region is coming under heavy criticism for not being prepared for this storm. Two weeks to get power back to everyone is difficult to understand. Let’s hope all are ready for the next storm.
“Clouds, leaves, soil, and wind all offer themselves as signals of changes in the weather. However, not all the storms of life can be predicted.” ―
The Invisible Man 