In I Thessalonians 5, Paul instructs us to “give thanks” in all things. That does not mean we thank God for all things. Some things are bad and we want nothing to do with them. But God can bring good out of bad and we can learn to thank God in the face of all kinds of trials. Irma (and Harvey) have not only led me to pray a bit more, they have led me to offer thanks.
- I am thankful to see people come together. We have gotten very good at fighting and dividing. Natural disasters like hurricanes bring out the best in many. I am thankful for that.
- I am thankful for a reminder of God’s power. We’ve become a bit uppity. A record Dow. Driverless cars. Artificial intelligence. We are quite taken with our power and ingenuity. It is good to be reminded what real power looks like. Especially when we note that, all things considered, Irma was a small storm in a small corner of a small planet in a small galaxy in a small solar system. It hardly displayed God’s power.
- I am thankful for a reminder of what matters. Many whose homes (or cars) flooded, are reminded that our life can be cluttered with a lot of stuff that, in the end, is just stuff.
- I am thankful for a reminder than life is fragile. Few today expect to lose their life in a storm. But many did.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
By the way, thanks for your ongoing support of the church. Because of your contributions, we have been able to send funds to help those in need, including Jules Martinez and his family. Jules and Ana and their two children were at Christ Church during his PhD studies. They returned to Puerto Rico three years ago, to train pastors and plant churches. Life in Puerto Rico is full of challenges (e.g., the economy and now the weather). But they came through the recent events well and are finding ways to help others.