It inspired me to share a true story of the miracles that God did when the horror of Katrina was unfolding on the gulf coast and specifically in the 9th ward of New Orleans.
I got to know many people in the shelters of Baton Rouge shortly after they were evacuated and residents who were returning to churches a year later. We hear the sad stories of how people perished beneath the waters of the storm as they raced through broken levees to sweep houses, cars, trees and people away.
What we rarely hear is how God put his actual hand of mercy and grace upon people throughout the entire city and gulf coast. We do know that the goverment was forcasting upwards of 20-35,000 people to die as a result of the destruction- and like the attacks of 9/11- the numbers were drastically below- tens of thousands of people below! Thank you Lord!
Well, let's get back to Jesus calming the storm and being in a boat and what that has to do with New Orleans. Several survivors I talked to shared a common theme- a man appeared to them and saved them from drowning.
I have so many stories where the people ran up into their attics and began to hack away at the ceiling with a axe or machete to try and escape the water that was rapidly filling up their homes. They would tell me how they reached a point of exhaustion and realized they were not going to make it and asked the Lord to save them.
One told me how he was resigned to his immending death and cried out to the Lord to just take him home. Suddenly he felt a rush of fresh air and looked up and saw a hole in the roof that was just big enough for him to scurry up on the roof.
He was dismayed to find the water quickly overtaking his roof and realized in minutes he would be underwater. In an almost mocking tone he cried out again to the Lord- "God, did you save me from drowing in my attic only to bring me up to drown on my rooftop- you know I don't know how to swim!"
A second later a brand new boat with an engine bumped him on his ankle- he jumped in- thanking the Lord- and rescued not only himself but many other rooftop neighbors.
Another couple were washed off their roof into a torrent of water. They were drowing and called out to God for help. They were hit in the head by two life vests that they were able to slip on and then were washed up to a place of safety!
The most startling is a couple who were fleeing the onrushing waters. They ran up against a wall that was to high to climb. They held hands and prepared to meet the Lord, they prayed for rescue but felt their deaths were immenent.
Suddenly a Afro-American male in his early 30's stepped out from behind a trash bin. He was well dressed and was bone dry- despite the rain and water all around him. He pulled out a canoe and calmy said- "Hurry children you need to get into the boat!"
They ran to him and got into the boat. They turned to help him get into the boat- but he was gone. They believe Christ himself delivered them that day!
It is too bad that many times we look at our Lord as a "Break Glass when in Emergency" type of God. Coming to Him only when we are in need or want things or see no other way out. Thank God that He does respond and takes us in our hour of need.
But it would also be great if we had Him in our boat of life all the time. Keeping Him as our constant boat captain as we journeyed on the cruise of Life in good and bad times, thanking Him for all things at all times not just when were are about to be washed up on the rocks.
We are not promised a smooth or perfect life when we follow the Lord, but I believe that the storms of life can be calmed by the presence of our Lord who does allow us to handle and perservere through all calamities- even should we perish- we know we awake in His eternal arms!
So let's keep God in our boat! Continue to pray for our upcoming Race Track Revival Festivals on Oct 2 in Bay Meadows with Chaplain David and Oct 16 in Churchill Downs with Chaplain Ken. Let us pray for the harvest that many, many race track workers will come to accept the Lord as their Savior, Redeemer
No comments:
Post a Comment