I admit it. I’ve become addicted to The Weather Channel. At 10 minutes before the hour I’m tuned into the “Tropical Update”. One thing about living through 6 hurricanes, you see the radar as it’s approaching and then you see the aftermath. During the storm you are hunkered down and when the power goes, you depend on the voice on the radio.

Now, I watch as Jim Cantore and the other reporters stand being wind-blown and rained down upon. I admire them for doing exactly the opposite of what they tell us to do.

In the summer of 2004, Florida was attacked by 4 hurricanes: Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Frances and Jeanne hit the central Atlantic coast 2 weeks apart. They were cat. 1 storms, but they were slow moving, so they decimated the beaches and dumped enough water to bring back the Florida swamplands. There were floods everywhere. (I now wondered why people bought that piece of Florida Swampland.)

Piece of driftwood found on Melbourne Beach, FL after hurricanes in ’04

I heard the reports that the beaches were gone, but I had to see for myself. See this picture? I found this piece of driftwood on Melbourne beach after the storms. It was sticking up much like it’s now in my houseplant. It’s a knot of wood with 2 pieces going up and down. What could that have been? Part of a dock? The beach steps from a oceanfront house in the Bahamas? Have a guess? Comment below.

As I walked down the beach – what was left of it – I saw pricey houses and condo buildings with their foundations exposed. The sand was gone. Sand that not too long before, was brought in at taxpayers’ expense, because waves from another storm that stayed offshore, had taken it away. It doesn’t make any sense. Yet, the beachfront habitants were screaming that they wanted the state to build the beach again.

That reminded me of a Bible verse. The words spoken by Jesus:

 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

And there’s a famous hymn by Edward Mote:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.

His oath, His covenant His blood, 
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Life is full of storms. Whether they’re named Irene, Andrew, Katrina or Lee or unemployment, foreclosure, divorce, illness, accident. If you’re faith is in Jesus’ solid rock, nothing, not even a cat. 4 hurricane, can knock you off.

Related blog posts:
For What is Seen is Temporary
Hurricane Irene
Up the Down Escalator
Determination: Never Give Up
5 years ago this month
Stuck in the Mud
10 tips for Living with No Electricity

Note: My novel, Deo Volente! shows how the people of the early church dealt with a natural disaster: the eruption of Vesuvius. Available through Amazon and various other online outlets.

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author