You'll Never Walk Alone

The hurricane is knocking on my oldest boy's door this morning. I am waiting, and praying, as Irene hammers the area where many relatives, including my own parents, and my dear son all live. We experienced the outer bands while vacationing at Hilton Head, and that was enough for me.

It is eerie watching the frightening videos and having seen first hand the absolute blackness of the sky as the hurricane roars by. And then, there is the next day. The forecast for Boston tomorrow is 78 and sunny. Hang on, beloved son, dear family and friends! Brighter skies beckon!

After our brush with Irene, I went bike riding on the beach, early in the morning. The sun was rising and the last of the hurricane clouds still lingered. They were perhaps as reluctant as we were to leave lovely Hilton Head and return to work, and the incredible chaos of the start of a new school year. But through the clouds, little fingernails of sun were scratching away. And then suddenly, it clawed open a small hole and the endless streams of golden light shattered the darkness and danced in silvery diamond steps across the glowing sea.

I biked and sang, on the empty beach. I sang a triumphant song from an old musical, Carousel. It reminded me that no matter how dark the skies of my life turn, I am never facing the darkness alone. To all my dear family and friends, huddling under stormy skies today, I am praying for you. You are not alone.

R. Rodgers and O. Hammerstein II

When you walk through the storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on, through the wind
Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

John 16:32-33

...Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.    ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

When You Walk Through the Storm

We stepped onto the beach for one last sand sculpture, one last skim boarding , but the sky was black. Only the outer bands were to touch Hilton Head, but the sky was inky, perilously dark against the sea that still glinted with reflections of sun peeking from the other end of the sky. We had just unloaded our things from our beach cart when God decided we needed just a taste of a hurricane. Rain and wind exploded out of the blackness, so strong that we had trouble walking against it. Chairs and coolers and people's beach toys and towels were picked up with the now bullet pieces of sand, and were flying down the beach. We snatched our things and raced back to the car.
"That wasn't so bad," said Arvo.
"The rain was going sideways," countered Asherel.
The rest of the day was spent in the condo watching the rain, torrential at times.

Why did we stay, why were we not fleeing even the outer edges of this storm, my friends asked.

Because that evening, we were to go have dinner at a restaurant with a band that played 4 straight hours of Beatles. Asherel had been looking forward to it all week. When we arrived at 6:30, the rain finally had let up. There were only 3 or 4 tables of customers. It was clear they had braved the hurricane to hear the Beatles band too. Asherel munched on fish and chips while the band played, and took requests from the three tables of fans.
"Wow," the band said, as they took our sometimes obscure requests,"These are REAL Beatles fans."
"Here comes the sun!" called out a boy.
"We don't do that one during hurricanes," said the band.

We stayed for over two hours. It was a fitting and wonderful cap to our week at the beach. And in a week, our vacation reflected the story of life:

Anticipation, preparation, born to a new place, experiencing all the joys and wonders of life, building, creating, working and playing, family. Looming in the distance, a fearful threat, adversity, even terror. Reliance and trust and prayer to God, the fearful threat rages. Singing with delight in the midst of the storm. Awakening, reborn, the dreadful storm gone, birds singing, the skies blue again.

God's messages of redemption and restoration are never ending.

To those still to endure this storm, I pray for all of you.

Luke 8:23-25 NIV

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

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