It’s a sobering day. It matters not what your political history has taught you about 9/11/01. It matters about the solemnity and grief it all caused. When we visited the “ground zero” four months later, there was very little to notice except the grief. It was a monumental emotional visit. On that morning, Sarah was at our house, I had gone to the coffee shop and was told as I left that “a plane crashed into the twin towers.” I thought it was just a small plane, perhaps lost in fog or something. When I got home, Sarah was watching it all on TV. As I joined her, the second plane hit, then they fell. Street cameras showed the worst true panic I’d ever seen. Yet, many did not panic, just went about saving as many lives as they could. Seventeen years later, it still defines us as a people.And I don’t ever want to again witness as much grief as I did in 2001. Nuf said.
An hurricane is taking a bead on the Carolinas, Florence is her name. She is big, fast, strong, and she has no conscience. The one thing people have to do is leave. The only thing stronger than the wind and the water is the lightening. It has built itself and it is going to see its end only after hitting land somewhere. You can pray (please do), but it is still coming. So pray for guidance and provision to get out of its path. A report just said more than a million people should evacuate—yes, they should.
In 1979, a category 4/ some places 5, fellow named Frederick hit Mobile, less that a year after we moved there. We lived about 20 miles from the coastline of Dauphin Island and the house we lived in was very substantial. Our house survived with minimal damage and so did we. Many people were not as fortunate as we were, but even though we were safe in our house, when we went out the next morning, the whole area around us for miles looked like the aftermath of war. I had two businesses one of which had the entire front blown away. The other less damage, but both without power for days which cut them down. Hundreds of businesses and manufacturing facilities were completely destroyed. Bridges and highways and the commercial buildings downtown were heavily damaged.
Afterward for weeks, I would finish preaching in Montgomery on Sunday evening about dark and drive back to Mobile. Crossing the causeway with no city lights, faintly seeing the skyline of the city looming ahead in the dark was the most eerie experience I’ve ever had. Downright depressing.
I never want to go through another hurricane. Even with the most warning of any natural disaster, they are still devastating.
So, get out if you are in its path, get out. Now! And if you’re not, but know someone who is, tell them to get to you, if where you are is reachable in a day or so.
Well, on that cheery note, let’s get back to seeing things in a different light. Mondays continue to surprise me. It rained most of the morning, yesterday, and hardly anyone came in the Blue Jug. After I went home, however, the store had a very normal, even better than normal day! See, I told you it was going to be a great week!
SIMH today is “Lay Down Beside Me”—Allison Krauss/John Waite. I really enjoy Allison Krauss’s music. Watching her on videos, it always looks so effortless when it never is. Making music of the quality to sell is very hard work and usually takes a lot of people, each looking for some specific area of concern. That constitutes a lot of “bosses” all in one place at once. So, I admire the artistry of it. Allison and her “bosses” are one of the best groups ever.
Last night’s bible class is up on Brother Jerry Lockhart, You Tube Channel. It’s about being complete in Christ in spite of being in the flesh. Maybe something on there will be helpful.
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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