It’s only the first week of May but weather forecasters are telling us we will have a “more active than usual” hurricane season this year. Technically; hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. Forewarned is fore armed. So, how should we prepare?
First, plan for evacuation. Some storms, like Ida, last year, come so quickly we are caught flat footed. Have a “go-kit” to include spare keys and cash – don’t count on an ATM working – phone chargers, sanitizers, medications. Make a checklist – there is a good one on the web from the American Red Cross.
Above all, take the threat seriously. Remember Sandy? Many people thought it was a joke and they paid dearly for their belief that they could “ride out the storm.” If we begin our planning in May, we have a better chance of not just surviving storm but not being destroyed by it.
Prayer for the Day
A soft gentle rain reminds us, O God, of the gift of water,
Something we all need and cannot live without;
The earth comes alive in the rain, and we remember
That there are so many parts of the world facing drought
May we extend the gift of water to those who have it not,
Sharing your mercy and compassion to others.
In the name of the One who showed compassion to all,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Look at the rain long enough, with no thoughts in your head, and you gradually feel your body falling loose, shaking free of the world of reality. Rain has the power to hypnotize.”
- Haruki Murakami, from South of the Border, West of the Sun
All morning it has been raining. In the language of the garden, this is happiness
- Mary Oliver, American poet (1935-2019)
Let my teaching fall like rain and my words and my words descend like dew on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
Deuteronomy 32: 2