the biggest storm EVER
It looks like Hurricane Frances is indeed heading my way. The latest projection is that the storm will come ashore in Vero/Sebastian and that puts Palm Bay/Melbourne in a bad spot. Apparently the upper right side above the eye is the worst spot and if Hurricane Frances doesn't change her course, then it looks like P.B./Melb. will get hit pretty badly. The school board has decided to close schools on Thursday and Friday. (I am in school right now, but it's my planning period in case any of you wondered.) Students are entirely freaked out and each period they come in with billions of questions for me. The truth is, I'm actually a little freaked out myself and have a billion questions of my own. I just came back from heating up my soup in the faculty longue and that place was a buzz with anixety as well. People are saying things like, "I've lived here all my life and this is the first time I'm seriously worried." Having also lived here my entire life, I've seen so many false alarms and actually each time a hurricane is headed my way, I kind of blow it off with, "It won't hit us, it never does." But I guess maybe this time it will. It's a category 4 and bigger than Andrew. However, it could turn at the last minute, its power could be diminished...and infinite amount of what ifs are swirling around.
I'm leaving town tomorrow morning around 5 am, not because of a hurricane, but because Aunt Olivia passed away and I'm going to her funeral in Atlanta. The fact that I am, in essence, evacuating is kind of stressful and is requiring a great deal of faith on my part. I'm leaving Chloe and Saffie, which I've done before for 4 days without any problems (yes, their litter boxes tend to be a bit full upon my return, but at least they don't use the house as their extended litter boxes). Even though they're just cats, I'm kind of worried for them and would hate to think that they'll be scared to death should Frances rip our roof off and expose them to the rude elements of a category 4 hurricane. Not to mention I'm a little, a lot, anxious about what I might be returning home to. A student told me today, "Me and my dad are looking on the bright side of things; we want a new house." I really don't want a new house and would like for Frances to stay away from mine. I also don't want the mobile home parks to be demolished like they were in Charley's wake.
I've personally seen the damage a category 4 hurricane can cause. In 8th grade (which is what grade I was in when Andrew struck south FL), I went on a mission trip of sorts, a hurricane relief trip, to Miami. It was devastating. My friends and I (the only youth on the trip and therefore we were not able to do physical hard labor with the men from church who went) were stationed at the meaty canned food table of a make-shift grocery store. We saw countless families come through wanting cans of Spam and Spaghetti-O's and we had to ration them. That was heartbreaking. I remember wanting to give each family all the Spam they wanted. But we couldn't. I remember riding in the church van, all the way in the back seat sandwiched between Heather and Heidi (my best friends...they were twins!), in complete silence as we drove through Homestead and Florida City and saw the piles of garbage that were once homes. Then, years later, when I returned to Miami for college and worked at a church in Homestead, the residents still talked about Andrew like it hit yesterday. Nearly every year we had hurricane days off from UM because the minute there was a hurricane threat or watch, Miami's mindset was, "Better safe than sorry."
All this to share with you all: I am a little nervous. Anytime I think about a life or death situation, I'm reminded of the book of Esther. You might know that it's the only book of the Bible that doesn't mention God. However, God's presence is all over that book. The book of Esther shows how God is totally faithful to His people who trust in Him even through tragic circumstances. When Esther was going to go to the king (he was going to kill all the Jews) she said, "If I perish, I perish." It all boils down to that: if it happens, it happens. Also, just a few weeks ago I posted something about the Jars of Clay song in which they sing, "He has calmed greater waters and higher mountains have come down." So, I shouldn't be nervous or scared. Whatever happens, whatever possible aftermath I'll have to deal with (if Franny does strike), the bottom line is: it'll be ok. Thanks to Jed, I'm listening to Andrew Peterson's CD Love and Thunder, specifically the track "Serve Hymn", right now...which is calming me! Thank you, Jed. You were right: Love and Thunder is amazing.
I have CIA today after school (Christians in Action). It will be a good time of prayer and discussion about faith and fears. I am off to unplug electrical equipment in my classroom now. So, for all of those who are elsewhere and free from Frances's threat, please pray. [Those of you who are within Frances's threat, you can be praying too :-)]
I'm leaving town tomorrow morning around 5 am, not because of a hurricane, but because Aunt Olivia passed away and I'm going to her funeral in Atlanta. The fact that I am, in essence, evacuating is kind of stressful and is requiring a great deal of faith on my part. I'm leaving Chloe and Saffie, which I've done before for 4 days without any problems (yes, their litter boxes tend to be a bit full upon my return, but at least they don't use the house as their extended litter boxes). Even though they're just cats, I'm kind of worried for them and would hate to think that they'll be scared to death should Frances rip our roof off and expose them to the rude elements of a category 4 hurricane. Not to mention I'm a little, a lot, anxious about what I might be returning home to. A student told me today, "Me and my dad are looking on the bright side of things; we want a new house." I really don't want a new house and would like for Frances to stay away from mine. I also don't want the mobile home parks to be demolished like they were in Charley's wake.
I've personally seen the damage a category 4 hurricane can cause. In 8th grade (which is what grade I was in when Andrew struck south FL), I went on a mission trip of sorts, a hurricane relief trip, to Miami. It was devastating. My friends and I (the only youth on the trip and therefore we were not able to do physical hard labor with the men from church who went) were stationed at the meaty canned food table of a make-shift grocery store. We saw countless families come through wanting cans of Spam and Spaghetti-O's and we had to ration them. That was heartbreaking. I remember wanting to give each family all the Spam they wanted. But we couldn't. I remember riding in the church van, all the way in the back seat sandwiched between Heather and Heidi (my best friends...they were twins!), in complete silence as we drove through Homestead and Florida City and saw the piles of garbage that were once homes. Then, years later, when I returned to Miami for college and worked at a church in Homestead, the residents still talked about Andrew like it hit yesterday. Nearly every year we had hurricane days off from UM because the minute there was a hurricane threat or watch, Miami's mindset was, "Better safe than sorry."
All this to share with you all: I am a little nervous. Anytime I think about a life or death situation, I'm reminded of the book of Esther. You might know that it's the only book of the Bible that doesn't mention God. However, God's presence is all over that book. The book of Esther shows how God is totally faithful to His people who trust in Him even through tragic circumstances. When Esther was going to go to the king (he was going to kill all the Jews) she said, "If I perish, I perish." It all boils down to that: if it happens, it happens. Also, just a few weeks ago I posted something about the Jars of Clay song in which they sing, "He has calmed greater waters and higher mountains have come down." So, I shouldn't be nervous or scared. Whatever happens, whatever possible aftermath I'll have to deal with (if Franny does strike), the bottom line is: it'll be ok. Thanks to Jed, I'm listening to Andrew Peterson's CD Love and Thunder, specifically the track "Serve Hymn", right now...which is calming me! Thank you, Jed. You were right: Love and Thunder is amazing.
I have CIA today after school (Christians in Action). It will be a good time of prayer and discussion about faith and fears. I am off to unplug electrical equipment in my classroom now. So, for all of those who are elsewhere and free from Frances's threat, please pray. [Those of you who are within Frances's threat, you can be praying too :-)]
posted by alisa beth at 1:20 PM
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