Friday, October 30, 2020
I remember waking up the morning and realizing how much damage there was just on my block from “Superstorm” Sandy. There was no electricity, of course, and the giant ash tree in my yard had split in half, its two major parts falling into the yard of neighbors three houses away on one side and across the wide street into the back yards two houses down on the other.
And then it got cold. Well, what are you supposed to do in a neighborhood of old houses with fireplaces? Invite your neighbors for a firewood party, of course! That old ash tree warmed all of our houses for almost three weeks.
Although we only received the remnants of Hurricane Zeta in cold rain over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the Gulf Coast has had at least four major storms this year. We can help with donations to United Methodist Relief (UMCOR), the Salvation Army, or SBP, a local organization based in New Orleans. Cleaning up this year presents particularly serious issues in wake of the pandemic.
Prayer for the Day
God of mercy who feeds us with your love,
Break down the walls we build against others,
Smooth our rocky hearts into round pebbles,
Make us like the waves of the incoming tide,
Ready to cover others with your care,
Especially in times of great need.
In the name of him who embraces us all,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
Thoughts for the Day
When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.
Haruki Murakami, Japanese writer
We cannot go back to happier times. We can only live in the present and right now the present is painful.
Christie Golden, writer
Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
Psalm 16:1–2