This weekend those participating in Halloween celebration, Hallelujah party, or some other costume-related event, will probably wear a mask or disguise of some sort. When done correctly, few can unmask (reveal) the characters. Many of the secular type events originally began innocently enough. No doubt, over time, things have changed. Back in 1965, mom took us to Woolworth to get us some costumes. She wasn’t particularly happy at the ridiculous price she had to pay for a small 6x6x1” box she bought Nels. It was a cute cat with a big grin. The small box costs 59 cents! It probably made mom howl and Nels smile! Who would’ve thought how expensive things were back in those days?! Nels did enjoy that cat disguise for many years. Many of us enjoyed dressing up. Of course, things were a bit more innocent 57 years ago! In the story of King Saul in the Bible, while he didn’t celebrate Halloween, he did desire to visit a witch. He contacted the underworld to see what his future held. The king knew that it was wrong to go to a fortune teller or a witch, in fact, he decreed that no one should visit them; yet he disguised himself and sought one out. He asked for the prophet Samuel to be contacted, since God had shut His ear to him. Samuel was displeased with being summoned, but did tell Saul what his future held: “Tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me” (1Samuel 28:19). In other words, since God had already taken the kingdom of Israel away from Saul due to his disobedience, and Samuel had already prophesied it to him, further disobedience was not going to make things better. In fact, he made them worse. The witch and Samuel were able to see through his disguise, and, God who knows everything, allowed Saul and his three sons to be killed the very next day, just as Samuel had told him. So, celebrating Halloween might not get you killed…and wearing a disguise might not get you a one-way ticket to the underworld, but one thing is true: The ruler of the underworld delights when people celebrate his activities. Doing so, invites him in. He doesn’t know how to play innocently; he’s evil and knows that sin escalates. Given a foothold, he’ll push the door wide-open. Darkness knows no light. Satan knows his days are short and he seeks to gather as many souls as he can (Revelations 12:12b). Let him keep the darkness. Better yet, unmask his evil deeds: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them…But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:” (Ephesians 5:11,13). Let’s celebrate light.
“What communion has light with darkness” (2Corinthians 6:14b)? “You are children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness” (1Thessalonians 5:5).
God Bless,
Sam
WORDS
Do you recall being summoned to the principal’s office back in the day, or to the dean’s to be spoken to or disciplined? Can you picture yourself there? “So, Sam, I hear…” And you’re “stuttering, – “Uh-hama, hama, hama, it’s a bea-u-ti-ful d-day (as the pouring rain sweeps the streets and you’re glancing at the lifeless trees bare of all leaves).” Not a good experience! Often my best friend Gil’s dad would tell him to get inside. The dad was generally very serious. One thing he was known for was his dungarees. They were cuffed at the bottom 2-3 times, wore suspenders with his belly rising between them. He walked a bit bowlegged kicking each leg outward, and he chewed gum like crazy. On this particular day, must’ve been 1973, we were standing right in front of Gil’s first-floor window when Georgie called Gil to come outside. His dad answered roughly from inside. At that point, Georgie, with his back to the window decided to mock the dad! He bent over slightly, rolled up his pants, stood up ready to put his thumbs behind his make-believe suspenders, that’s when Gil’s dad stuck his head out the window! Spreading his arms apart, he rested them on the sill and stared at Georgie…We, stood there with our mouths wide open as flies zipped in and out and danced around us going in through our nostrils and exiting through our mouths!
Our eyes were fixed beyond Georgie. As he slowly stood up mumbling, imitating Mr. Gil, noticing the flies and our motionless bodies, he whispered, “He’s there, isn’t he?” Our heads went up & down. With his hands still around his “suspenders,” Georgie whistled lowly, made a half-turn to confirm Mr. Gil’s presence, and then ZOOMED to the left towards his building’s stoop! BUSTED!! It was hilarious! We told him he shouldn’t have done that-at least not there where he could be seen! Our sound advice guaranteed he’d never get caught again! Now imagine being busted by God for saying or doing something… “And Miriam and Aaron, (Moses’ sister and brother) spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married…and they said, has the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Has he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.” In a nutshell, they complained about Moses’ decision and questioned whether he was truly chosen by God to speak to them. “And the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, Come out you three to the tabernacle of the congregation. (The tabernacle was a portable temple; a tent where God dwelt and met with His people.) “His anger was kindled against them and turned Miriam white as snow-a leper” (Numbers 12). I’d say the ‘Principal’ called them to His office!
Where it was once shameful and a disrespect to speak against another person, especially a leader, we now have platforms, social media, talk-shows, etc. where people feel empowered to freely express their minds and views-all without fear of consequences. God, however, isn’t bound by the rules of social media. His ways and His Word are above everything. Be assured that He will hold us accountable for every word we speak. We may escape a principal’s disciplinary actions and may even get away with imitating a friend’s father, but we will not escape the heavenly Father. “But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36,37 Berean Study Bible). God will allow you a ‘platform,’ the stage where He will judge you. If you’re not saved, you have God’s guarantee that you’ll be there. You will be allowed to say all you want in your defense, because God is Just and He will grant you the floor, however, the end result will be the same: eternal separation from Him. In other words, He’ll allow the unsaved to defend themselves or to share “their side of the story” but they will not save themselves. They will have missed the mark-by a thousand years… Let’s stay out of the principal’s office, watch our words, and spend time with God’s Holy Word rather than with ours.
God Bless!
Sam
Old Days, Old Ways
When we watch old westerns, we notice there was a distinct way of doing things. For starters, running water wasn’t always available. Combined with a belief that one shouldn’t shower often, and you had non-rosy-smelling citizens. People had a unique look. Men were often bearded, dirty, and ugly followed by well-dressed, clean-cut guys with mustaches. Women, well, they had their fluffy dresses and wore bonnets of sorts. Men had a swagger in their walk. Probably from the weight of their holsters and them funny-looking, high-heeled boots. There were banks, a general store, and saloons.
In today’s world, we have our ways too. We have our ways of dressing, our behavioral ways, and of course, our unique walk. Growing up, we played around with our walking styles. Ray placed his left hand at waist-height in front of his buckle. He’d sway a bit left to right as his right hand slightly moved back and forth. We jitter-bopped, especially when we saw the girls from the block. Now and then we rubbed our nose and slightly bopped our head up once or twice as in saying, “Yo, what’s up?” and letting others know we were up to par. We walked like the rabbits in Peter Rabbit on their way to get even with Mr. McGregor. We made sure our hair was nicely combed, and we acted cool! We had our special handshakes and made sure we got noticed!
One day when I returned to NY for a visit, back in 2003, I was walking down an old neighborhood. In fact, it was where we played lots of basketball with “Ray the Best.” As I neared the corner, someone ran up behind me, placed his hands on my shoulders and leaped in front of me. It was Ray! I asked him how he knew it was me. He said, “It’s the walk, Sam, it’s the walk!” Just by that he identified me after my being gone for 8 years. Back in 2017, after hurricane Maria, I was working at the local high school. I was on the second floor just nearing the library, and going out of view from those below. I was walking with my knapsack on my back. I must’ve been jitter-bopping- my casual sway, cause suddenly the Principal below was yelling at me to “Get down here at once!” “No ones’ allowed upstairs!” The Assistant Principal asked him where the student was and when he pointed to me, she told him I was one of theirs! He said, “Well, I didn’t know, and with that left-to-right movement, I was sure he was a student carrying a knapsack.”
Yep, People can tell who we are by our walk! How are you walking these days? I’m not referring to your swagger, your sway, your jitter-bopping, or even your limp. Does your walk include the same crowds from back in the day? I;m not saying you have to dump your buddies, but are you walking the same old paths, doing the same old things that got you in trouble? Are your ways clean? Are you living according to your old days? Do people say, “Yep, that’s him/her all right. Same old, same old?” There’s a Spanish idiom that translates to, “Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
God doesn’t care if we bop, swagger, walk stiffly with our hands at our sides, or if we rub our nose when we walk. It’s how we behave/act before Him that matters. The book of Ephesians 5:15, 16 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.”
Furthermore, we are “read” every day. The Apostle Paul said, “We’re open letters” (2Corinthians 3:2) allowing others to read our ways, customs, and our dealings. As someone once said, “You’re probably the only Bible some people will ever read.” One Bible character had a unique walk: “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). In his daily walks, Enoch preferred to walk closely with God. He skipped death as God took him (alive) to heaven. Our walk has to honor Him at all times. Heaven awaits us. God will call us there soon whether through death or the rapture, we’ll soon be walking, swaying, or bopping beside Him forevermore-and we won’t have to impress anyone. God Bless, Sam
Sweet Guilt, Sour Results
You’re making your way home and with each step, your excitement grows. You’re thinking about that desert you recently bought and stashed away deep in the fridge. “Just a few more steps and I’ll be there,” you’re thinking. You turn the key, enter, you bypass your three little ones (not a good idea), kiss your wife on her forehead, and head straight for the fridge. “Whaaaaaaatt?” shoots forth from your mouth as you gasp for air in unbelief! They’re gone!! Everything, gone!! You round up your crew into the living room. You don’t call your wife in cause she’s not a suspect (though, she might just be the unsuspecting culprit).
Each kid has an alibi, though their faces prove otherwise. “It ain’t me” they say. You stand there shaking your head in disbelief as you observe guilt, not to mention chocolate, yogurt, and other goodies spread around their mouths. Yet, they’re claiming innocence. You head back to the store for more. When God questioned the first couple created, they immediately pointed fingers. “The woman that you gave me, gave to me and I ate,” said Adam. When she was questioned, she said, “The snake tricked me, and I did eat” (Gen. 3:12,13). They were punished by God. Truth of the matter is Eve knew it was wrong, but she chose to disobey God. Equally true is that Adam was next to his wife when she ate and gave him, so he was without excuse (Gen.3:6). And so, finger-pointing continues to date. When I taught in NY it was not uncommon for teachers’ lunches to disappear from the Teachers’ lounge fridge. People would get so upset! One day, I caught the culprit, or at least, a culprit. Ms. B. opened the fridge and practically ransacked it looking for something to eat! I asked her if she had misplaced her lunch. She said she hadn’t but wasn’t happy at not finding anything worth eating there… Daily, from God’s point of view, we, His children, have chocolate all over our mouths. Its sweetness is appealing. We’re guilty before Him, not because we ate something, but because we have sin written all over our faces-and nothing we do rids it. Even if we wear a mask or try to hide our ways, we can’t! “Nothing in all creation is hid from God’s sight” (Hebrews 4:13).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We’re born into it and the only way to undo its sour results, is through accepting His sacrifice for us; He took our sins upon Him. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds we are healed (1Peter2:24). “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2Corinthians 5:21). The only way we can stand before Him sinless, is by accepting that sacrifice. Think of it as God replacing your desserts and closing the fridge. He declares you whole. How sweet it is! You’re thrilled. As His kid, you can wipe your mouth clean of all evidences of guilt and the sour results. You’re forgiven. (Wives too). Treats on the house!!
God Bless,
Sam
Packed Bags
Back around 1970, on our block, we began hearing Peter, Paul, & Mary’s Leaving on a Jet Plane. We liked that song a lot, though decades later I would learn that it was actually written by John Denver. Our friend Gil used to do a mime about the song whenever it came on the radio. He’d pretend he’d open a suitcase, pack it, shut it, then stash it under his left arm and swing his right forearm like a coupling rod moving the wheels on a locomotive as he pretended to walk away. On very windy, and sometimes rainy nights, he’d pull out the attached hat on his windbreaker, put it on, and tie it. He’d then pull the jacket up, slipping the hat upwards above his head so it would appear that his head was hollow. As he mimed the song, the wind would sweep his ‘head’ all over the place and we’d die laughing at his antics! Packing suitcases comes naturally to some people and not to others. Prior to the pandemic, family members made fun of a sister-in-law of ours. Since her husband died in 2017, she was now traveling everywhere she could every chance she had. We joked that she never unpacked; always ready for the next journey. Back in 1977, I remember the song & lyrics to Diana Ross’ song, Theme from Mahogany. The first few lines say: Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know? That particular song played over and over on the radio and in my head as I was going through a real tough situation. I didn’t like where I was going. I didn’t like where I was. I didn’t like what life was showing me. It was the darkest time of my life and it seemed there was no way out. At times, I didn’t want a way out. I wanted life to go back to how it had been. I didn’t like my-then situation at all. It was a time of confusion, a time of tears, and a time of many questions. I learned that life can show us some very ugly things. It can take us through some dark, rainy alleys. It can cause us to mime life rather than to live it. When the winds of change strike hard, our heads can be floating around tossed about as if disconnected from our bodies. Sometimes, we just want to pack life for good. We’re done with life. We want to unpack and never bother with anything or anyone-ever again. But God is there waiting. His thumb is raised. He wants to hitch a ride with you. Look for Him. He’s there and here, and at every corner and every turn. Don’t miss Him. He knows all about you and He knows where you’re at at every moment of your life. he knows what you’re going through. Maybe you’re in the group that doesn’t like packing. They don’t like moving. They don’t like changing anything. They just ‘wanna be.’ However, they might be at dangerous crossroads in their lives. Gil didn’t mime for his benefit, he did it for ours! He knew we were there. We were his audience. He knew we enjoyed the antics! Likewise, God is there with you! He waits patiently in the shadows, in the dark alleys of our lives. He waits for us to call out to Him. He’s ever-ready to save us, but needs to hear us ask for His help, for His direction. So, do you know where you’re headed? You can’t go to the nearest gas station or food-mart to get a map for your life. Packed or unpacked, God knows where you should go. He knows where you need to be this very moment. Seek Him. Ask Him. Raise your thumb and hitch a ride. We’re told in Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” Faster than a jet plane, we’ll be ‘outta’ here when He calls us home. No suitcases needed.
God Bless!
Sam
Batman and God
For those of you growing up in the mid-sixties, you know the tensions that were related to the popular TV series, Batman & Robin. Weekly, we held our breaths anxiously awaiting the next Tuesday or Thursday night to see if Batman lived to see the new week, or wondering whether the duo might be able to escape the clever claws of the enemy. My brother and I had discussions on how they might make their getaway. We thought of ways we might be able to help them, if possible. “Holy Ka-pow, Batman!” Robin would say, eagerly and screechy as Minute Mouse in pursuit to rescue Poly-Pure Bread. The “Holy” words flowed rather easily from Robin’s lips because he used them spontaneously each time he forgot his lines. Soon an entire generation of American kids were spewing all kinds of “Holy” phrases; some good, some not. It was a sign of the times. There’s another ambiance in which “Holy” is, not sporadically, but incessantly used. It’s not by a dynamic duo, but for the awesome Holy Trinity. Holiness here, is not related to earthly slips-of-the-tongue or Freudian slips. Nor is it a substitute for forgetting one’s lines, though, be assured that once in His presence, you will forget your words, or rather, you’ll fall short of finding words to describe Him. God is described as Holy, Holy, Holy (thrice holy), because there are no words that befit the Holy Trinity. God isn’t into crime-fighting, but He is into rescuing souls. He doesn’t wear a cape and He doesn’t drive a Batmobile. He does ride in His chariot and upon the winds: “Who lays the beams of his chambers in the waters: who makes the clouds his chariot: who walks upon the wings of the wind” (Psalm 104:3). God does everything in holiness. Which is? Holiness is existing and operating in the absence of sin. God is pure and has always resided sinless. It’s difficult for us to imagine this because we’ve only known a sinful life. Thankfully, we don’t have to fret biting our nails wondering how God will deal with sinners, or how He’ll escape the enemies’ destructive claws as they clamor, and viciously attack God’s creation, God’s people, and God’s Word and principles. Nope, He’s not one bit worried. He’s got all things under control. “Why do the nations rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.’ He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision” (Psalm 2:1-4). Yep, God will laugh at man’s foolish attempts to hurt Him. As for me, I can’t wait to see His chariot and take it for a spin ‘round the block!
God Bless!
Sam
The Power of Change
During the summer of ’65, my little brother and I would spend the days with our older brothers’ mom. She’d take care of us. Not one to get hungry, my lunch consisted of a huge 10- cent Ring Ding chocolate cake (this was years before the Ring Ding Jr. came out), and a small 15-cent soda. Twenty-five cents was all I needed to get by. I know, I know, you’re wondering how I was so lucky! Some Fridays, my little brother and I, and another kid named Eddie, would receive loose change from one of my older brothers, Ruben. After work on Fridays, he probably distributed no more than sixty to seventy-five cents total in change to us. Each of us was thrilled to get eighteen to twenty-five cents mostly in pennies, dimes, and nickels! We were rich! We howled, we saddled-up our imaginary ponies, and headed out the door, turn right, dash to the candy store, and grab some of those two-for-a-penny candies! Sometimes, we’d grab five-cent bags of chips, or Drake’s Devil Dog cakes for the same price! Change was important to us kids. We sometimes had our pockets full, but most of the time they were empty but for lint, or a hole starting to form. Some people, though, especially adults, didn’t like change; they liked bills, large bills. Today, forget loose-change, they want credit cards and more. I guess, no time for small change… As we age, we find there’s another form of change; one that is constant. Billions of people world-over, seek ways to reach a state of peace or perfection. They search inward, outward, downward, and sometimes, upwards, all attempts to be at one with either nature, the earth, themselves, or with God. Millions succeed while others fail. It’s great to be at peace with others, with self, and with God. But, there’s something missing…change. “You mean, I’ll need change as in pennies to get in?” “Will I have to pay a fee for happiness?” Will I need a bucket full of change, or a wheelbarrow filled with pennies, like the Chinese man who rolled one to a company to purchase a car? NO! But you will need a different type of change. Every attempt made by man to reach God, to achieve oneness, is one-sided, it’s initiated by man himself; It’s from our perspective. And it’ll never work. Oh, you’ll hum yourself away and you’ll feel serenity, but no change will occur within you. You’ll feel like you’re doing something good, but you’re not. From your stance it’ll look fine and might even cause you to feel good. But what does it look like from God’s perspective? It’ll look a lot different. That’s because it must be endorsed by God Himself. God says in Romans 3:10,12: “There’s none righteous, no, not one. There is none that seeks the Lord.” Isaiah 64:6 reads: “All your works are as filthy rags.” In a nutshell, our best efforts fall miserably short of God’s approval-because we’re sin-based, and He’s Holy and perfect. When He saves us, it’s through the sinless sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, and only God can forgive sin and save us.
Try a different approach; one not available anywhere on earth: ask God to come into your heart and to set up residence there. When He indwells you, He’ll bring about something you’ll never get anywhere else. He will bring change into your life. Lots of it! Not pennies… or nickels…but inner change. A transformation will take place because when you invite the King of the Universe into your heart, you actually marry Him! The two of you become One. Since you’re not changing for Him, it won’t be short-lived. It’s unlike changing for a girl/guy. Once they dump you, or hurt you, you say, “Later for this.” Not so with God. He initiates the changes from inside us. He transforms our personality and changes our attitude. Our outlook on life gets revamped. We begin to see and care for others as He does. We ultimately become like Him because we’ll have a new heart. His. When He changes you, you’ll feel like a kid running to the nearest candy store, except not for goodies (unless you want to), but with an excitement that’ll transform your life. God doesn’t need your loose change, He already bought your salvation and paid for your entrance to heaven. He’s even reserved a ‘pad’ (a residence) for you. Do you have change in the pocket of your heart? Give it to Him and He’ll change your life beyond comprehension.
God Bless!
Sam
Against the Wind
That’s a great song by Bob Seager and the Silver Bullet band! One line rings true for most of us: “I’m older now but I’m still running against the wind.” As a track runner, I can recall those days when there was a headwind; it just sucked the life out of you. No matter how hard you pushed it seemed you were standing still. Same thing when I was into cycling. I’d look at my calendar to see my last timing for a certain distance, and then determine how well I felt that particular day to see if I could break that timing. Many times, I just couldn’t do it! The winds were up against me pushing mercilessly. As I sometimes look back, I can see the hardships in my life, the broken promises, the enduring pain. I can see the anxieties that built-up, the insecurities that formed, the tears I shed over a broken heart. Accompanying those tears and hurts were the ever-present lyrics of songs that either comforted me or supported the hurts. Don’t we all have a set of songs that relate to difficult times in our lives? Remember when life was young? Remember when love was true? Remember your vows? Remember those words you promised or were promised to you? How you were this close to tying the knot? This close to happiness? Can you relate to the pains that have brought you to this point in your life? Maybe you’re not out of the woods yet. Maybe just recently you had your heart or life shattered. You might still be bleeding from the stabs; reeling from the hurt, still gathering the broken pieces of your life. You don’t know where to go or how to even put one foot in front of the next. You feel you can’t stand alone. During my runs, both on foot and on bike, there were days when the wind was at my back. Those were days when I could fly! On the track, when running, my long hair flew in the wind as I sped around the track catching runner after runner. On the bike, I remember one day coming off the small bridge from Rockaway beach. It was either North or South Conduit Ave. going towards Cross-bay BLVD. The winds were behind me and I was whizzing by! I was pedaling at 30 mph for five miles straight, considering traffic and traffic lights! When we’re running against the winds, we’re struggling. When our lives went against the wind, all types of hurt and pains were present. We don’t reach a point where the winds are gone. Sometimes they’re calm, sometimes they’re crossways. But they’re usually present. Pains are still present. Many times, I feel like I’m still running against the wind. Nothing I say or do seems right. Things are blown out of proportion. Feelings get hurt and life gets difficult. I find I can’t be around people I love. Fortunately, God makes a way for us. Going with God, is going with the wind. We can give Him our hurts. He’ll take our sad yesterdays and give us glorious tomorrows. He’ll dry our tears. He’ll show us how to shift our focus from unpleasant memories to brighter experiences. He’ll have us running around the track (of life) with renewed hope. He’ll even give us new songs to sing. Not songs of how our hearts were broken or how we were left at the altar, but songs of victory, songs of hope, songs of laying our lives down at His altar of sacrifice. Winds will remain present, but God is on our side. In fact, one thing that motivated us most at track meets, were the cheering crowds. God cheers us on daily. He believes we can make it through to the other side-if we just hold on a bit longer. Like the Irish saying: “May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of your hand.” Go with the Wind!! If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). God is for you! God Bless, Sam
Carvings
It’s pretty amazing to watch chainsaw carvers. Those with blocks of ice, as well as those with huge tree trunks in front of them, are able to ‘see’ what their stump will become. “Brumm” the saws go chipping away around edges and corners where arms, legs, bears, eagles, or other creatures will appear. After some time, the end result emerges-spectacular! I remember a lady carving an 18’ tall eagle sculpture from a tree and using 250 tools in the process! From such carvings, masterpieces come forth. God’s words to Israel: “See, I will never forget you; I have carved you in the palm of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15,16). Be His masterpiece! Allow Him to chip away at those things He knows need trimming. As he works on you, He’ll present you with a new body when you get to heaven! He’s the Master Craftsman.
God Bless!
Sam
Storm Update
Power has gone out today, Saturday, September 17, 2022 for 15 minutes. We’re getting lots of rain, and it’s very windy. Power goes out again as winds and rain increase, this time for close to 9 hours. Power returns at 11:30p.m. At 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning, September 18, it’s gone again and hasn’t returned yet. Sunday saw 18-25” of heavy and severe rainfall coupled with 90mph winds. It’s interesting that on this very day 35 years ago, hurricane Hugo made landfall. Today, it’s hurricane Fiona. Hopefully, Shrek isn’t following behind! It’s now Monday evening and it’s very unlikely power will be restored, not for at least several weeks. Of over a million people here, supposedly, 46k currently have power. There’s no water either due to several rivers running their banks and polluting it. Since some generators are used to provide water, and there is no electricity, there’s little water. Such are storms. They wreak havoc in our lives. They’re unpredictable. They rain trials upon and winds of adversity whip us into exhaustion. Such weather patterns cause us to flee to higher ground lest we experience flooding and risk getting washed away. During hurricane season, June 1st– Nov. 30th, we prep ourselves seeking refuge in higher ground, moving to safe locations, purchasing non-perishable, stocking up on water, having backup power of sorts, phones charged, and stocking up on necessary things like meds, diesel, gas, candles and matches. Not only do we experience seasons of change in our daily lives, but storms as well. Where are you these days? Experiencing hurricanes, tornados, blizzards? “God (Elohim) is our Refuge (Machseh) and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “The name of the LORD (Yahweh) is a strong tower (Migdol-oz): the righteous run into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Seek Him in higher grounds. Hiding in Him is your safest bet. You can’t perish in Him. He’s the River of Life offering Living Water. There’s power in His Name, so you’ll always be charged. He’s “All, and in all” (Colossians 3:11), simply put, He’s all you need. No need for batteries or candles or to have your power restored, cause… “Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). God Bless, Sam Update: Saturday, September 24, 2022, power was restored after eight days. We had water for less than a day. Went thrice to purchase diesel at a few stations for our generator, and learned there was a shortage on the island because the ports were closed. Today’s news reports 700 containers have arrived with enough diesel for all who need it. However, there was none until the next day. Further update: Some towns were affected more than others with some getting up to 35” of rain. Power was restored to almost 90% of residents Saturday, October 1st. No FEMA help available yet. President Biden came to “see” conditions two weeks after the damage. I guess he expects people to leave everything as is so he can attest to the deplorable conditions. That’s life in PR.
