Maya the Boston and I are all alone in the house in violation of municipal evacuation orders. Cindy has taken her parents west to avoid Hurricane Dorian, which is a category 5 storm over Grand Bahama right now. This is the slowest moving, most powerful, unpredictable monster I’ve ever seen and is allegedly one of the most dangerous storms in recorded history. Creeping along at only a single mile an hour, every wobble brings panic to government agencies all along the eastern seaboard. I must admit, I’m second guessing my decision to “hunker down,” even though most of my neighbors have apparently made the same decision. The forecast cone brushes the border of every portion of the coast from Orlando to Maryland, so it’s time to pray that the One who calms storms will bring the peace and make the waves be still.
While I pray for the best I’ve got to prepare for the worst in the meantime. I’ve got six full propane tanks, a generator, a camp stove, a lantern, flashlights, a supply of water, and enough canned food to survive an apocalypse. The windows are boarded up, and the car is full of gas just in case I change my mind.
Since I last wrote, I’ve been juggling work, school, family, and church. Working in the Emergency Department, a new and hectic environment with every encounter a potentially life-altering one, I am understandably stressed. Add to that a full-time online college career and every other facet of my life has had to make sacrifices. Just a couple weeks ago, I was feeling so overwhelmed I was sure something would have to give. Then just as I began to feel crushed under the burden, God began to lift much of the worry right off me. He showed me I was on secure footing at school, and repeatedly shows me how He is using me in people’s lives at work. I may not be the most confident Emergency Department Nurse yet, but I am useful, and most days that gets affirmed at just the right time.
Cindy is between jobs at the moment. Resigning her former position may have relieved her of one of her major stressors but it added one for being unoccupied. You might well imagine that an out-of-work workaholic is an unhappy person. Please pray that God will open a door of opportunity for her to again find purposeful structure. It wouldn’t hurt if that opportunity came with a paycheck.
My parents have decided that, since Cindy and I are planning to leave the continent to serve long-term in Africa, they might as well leave town and seek residence near my sisters. So they are moving to Memphis next week. I have tried to pitch in and help in preparations for their move where I can, but the opportunities to help between night shift work and college deadlines have been scarce and brief. Cindy has made herself available like a champ, and my siblings have all responded like heroes. My emotions are mixed about this move, but mostly I feel like the cause of the problem rather than a source of help. Add guilt and loss onto the pile I was carrying.
Our church family is preparing for a missions expo that will launch the week of my birthday, September 14th. We are looking forward to being a part of that, and will have an information table as part of this “Go Expo”. Thanks to our Missions Pastor Lance Sellon, CrossRoad Church, and the CRC missions team, for their willingness to allow us to participate.
So, as you can see, prayers are needed and appreciated. We are not just sitting still waiting for Summer 2021 to arrive. It’s coming quickly, and we’re busy preparing. God is crafting me into a competent healing minister, and turning us both into what we will need to be for the tasks and times ahead. Please don’t forget to pray for us. We need you! We need God’s power and peace in our lives. I know Jesus said not to worry, and that each day has enough of its own worries (Matthew 6:34). He was right. And right now our days are filled with what feels like more than our share.
