Enough Is Enough

As you can see, I've done very little blogging lately. Who has time to write when every week (it seems) we have another hurricane to prepare for? I knew when I moved to Florida that hurricanes were a possibility, even a probability, but enough is enough already. Under the end table in my living room I have accumulated almost 100 bottles of water and over 20 pounds of charcoal just in case we should be without water and electricity for weeks on end. For the first time in over 2 years, my pantry is completely stocked with canned goods -- cans of tuna fish, SPAM, corned beef hash and Chef Boyardee beef ravioli. My freezer is almost completely empty, it's contents (along with my refrigerator's) having fallen victim to our 50-hour stint without electricity following Hurricane Frances. I'm very thankful that we didn't need to use our supplies -- it is a testament to God's gracious protection that we didn't! But the anxiety of the preparation and the thought of having to use our provisions and being without comforts, or possibly even without a home, has taken it's toll. I have joined the ranks suffering from hurricane fatigue.

However, I have learned some life lessons watching how people prepared or failed to prepare for the four hurricanes that hit Florida in the past two months. Some people were so busy with "life" that they never even knew a hurricane was coming. My sister was vacationing in Kissimmee the week that Frances hit. I called her a few days before and mentioned something about her flight home and whether or not she would still be able to catch it with the hurricane coming. "Hurricane? What hurricane? You're kidding, right?" was her anxious reply. Of course, I wasn't kidding, and my sister and her kids, after cancelling their flight twice, wound up driving all the way home to Buffalo, NY.

Other people knew the storm was coming, but they refused to believe it would hit us. And, for the most part, they were right. Here in Zephyrhills (30 miles northeast of Tampa) we barely got a breeze from Charley. Frances gave us a good amount of wind and floodwaters, but no massive damage like we saw on television. Ivan, after threatening us with catastrophic force, shifted to the west and missed us entirely. Jeanne, however, put a little fear into all of us, with hurricane-force winds that tumbled numerous trees in town. But all in all, we escaped with minimal damage. This time.

Still others knew the storm was coming but were somewhat cavalier about the whole thing. One neighbor told me when Charley was approaching, "Heck, it's only a category one or two. Ain't no big deal. I'm not afraid of no little hurricane." Charley wound up hitting Florida as a category 4 storm, but -- fortunately for my neighbor -- it hit much farther south than originally predicted.

Finally there were people like me who bought tons of batteries, food, water, extra flashlights, etc. We prepared for the worst and hoped (prayed) for the best.

Do you see a Biblical illustration here? These are the same ways people today prepare for eternity and the judgment to come. Some are so concerned about the cares of this life that they've never given it any thought. Others refuse to believe they will ever face judgment to begin with, no matter what the Bible says. Still others are arrogant enough to think that they'll tangle with God when they get there. And then there are those wise people who plan ahead and prepare. However, even those who prepare can become weary. I'll have to be honest, when it comes to hurricanes, I'm not sure how much preparation I'd do if I heard another one was headed our way. With Hurricane Jeanne, many people who had evacuated for earlier hurricanes decided to just stay put (even in their mobile homes) and take their chances. Hurricanes are one thing; eternity is another! Some good people who know Christ is coming back "someday" have simply become weary of the preparation. Peter described it like this:

2 Peter 3:3-4
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

Paul reminds us:


Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Although the paths of hurricanes are uncertain, the future is not. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment. Every single one of us will face a holy God and give account for what we've done with His Son. For some it will be more devastating than being hit head on by a category 5 hurricane. For others it will bring salvation and eternal life. But one thing is sure: The day is coming! Don't fall into the trap of "hurricane fatigue" in spiritual matters. You can't afford to! I can't afford to!