God Changed My Plans

I had plans to post a blog entry today. However, yesterday we ran into the effects of Hurricane Ike. A several hour long wind storm blew through on its way up north to Canada. The results? Downed trees and branches are everywhere. Our electric company is reporting over 300,000 outages in Indiana, with over 40,000 in our county alone.

Today my family remains without power, and I'll be spending the evening hours cutting down and removing fallen branches in our yard. Thankfully, our house does not appear to be seriously damaged. God has been gracious to us.

Obviously, our troubles pale in comparison to those in Texas and elsewhere who have been devastated by Ike. I continue to pray for those in Galveston, Houston, and other areas. I pray that those who have lost loved ones will not grieve as others do who have no hope. I pray that people will draw close to Christ, finding their security and rest in Him. I pray that our Lord will be with those who are now struggling through the challenges of rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Hurricane Ike has reminded me again of how dependent I am on God and how I must always be open to His changing my plans. As James writes:

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:13-17).