Fortunate - UCOA Message for September 16th 2008

I am guessing that if asked you whether you had been through a hurricane lately, you would say no. We probably all wished we would have gotten at least some rain from hurricane Ike, but we are also glad Ike didn't decide to track directly up through Austin. We would like rain, but we don't want our windows blown out, our fences knocked down and the power out. Ike is gone now, but what remains is the devastation it caused and the reminder of how fortunate we are to not be in it's path. Many weren't so lucky, including my nephew. He is still waiting for the power to be restored to his neighborhood, north of Houston. Some lost everything, houses, cars, photos, and some lost family members. Yes, we are fortunate, and sometimes we need to be reminded of that. So how does God fit into all this? Well, I think God knew about the hurricane, and I think He permitted it. So, I suppose we could be angry at God for permitting such devastation, or we can choose to respond to this event by helping others. Even though, collecting food for the food bank is a small thing, it expresses our concern for the people that have lost much. I think that is the lesson God wants us to get, that we should care about those around us that are less fortunate.  ¶ 6:24 PM