And The Rain Keeps Coming

Last week my schedule was absolutely crazy. Our 70 year old home has some mandatory maintenance. We are cutting down some pine trees. Putting in an outdoor fireplace (okay not mandatory but high priority for my husband). Replacing 4 sets of French doors. Installing an exterior, really sharp looking, awning that we designed for one of the rear entrances of the house to protect one set of the new French doors that will be installed. Our front porch columns need to be repainted as do all of our shutters. All of these things seemed to culminate at one time. It wasn't stressful just a juggling act.

We are hosting an engagement party at the end of the month for a darling young couple in our neighborhood. Optimally all of these tasks needed to have been completed by October 1st. The windows and doors, ordered in July, just came in. My husband called our contractor and told him to wait until November 1st for fear all the interior painting would not be finished by the date of the party. Contractor said that was fine and he would begin painting the front porch columns and  shutters. Good deal.

By Wednesday it looked as if eastern North Carolina was going to be right in the path of Hurricane Juaquin. Spent Wednesday replenishing batteries, checking generator, buying candles and groceries. And then the monsoon rains started. With the rain came the wind which blew the rain right through our leaky French doors all over the hardwood floors. Awesome. Also with the rain came mounds of debris throughout our yard from where the pine trees were cut down. Fantastic.

Sunday after church I was cooking for this week. My next door neighbor came over to visit. While we were talking and cooking I heard water running. The faucet had leaked and water was freely flowing all over the hardwood floors in our kitchen. My husband flew out to Lowes to buy a replacement fixture. He was proud as a peacock when he walked back in the door. Then he realized he had no idea how to replace it. Brilliant. Right now I have towels on my kitchen floor. Towels in our big den in front of the back French doors. Towels in the "man cave" in front of the back French doors. And the rain keeps coming.

Sunday night we turned on the news and saw the live coverage from Columbia, South Carolina. The flooding is devastating. If you lived in Eastern North Carolina in 1999 you will never forget Hurricane Floyd. The coverage of South Carolina was eerily similar to what we experienced here in North Carolina 16 years ago. My heart literally ached watching the destruction.

I had been so caught up in my own inconveniences, wants, and desires that I was totally oblivious to what was going on around me. The storm had missed us, yes. Even so we had tons of rain and it was messing up my plans. Didn't even occur to me that it was effecting someone else. Sound familiar?

How many times in life are we so busy that we fail to see someone in need? A friend who is in pain but we don't have time to listen. We tell ourselves we have too much on our plate. When we get through our own crisis we will check on our friend. 

I have water in my house. But I also have some nice monogrammed towels soaking up that water. I have a roof over my head, power, my pets, my family, food, Internet, clothes. Those families in South Carolina have lost every tangible luxury they have.

How often do we pause from our busyness and say "Thank you, Lord for your provision and your protection"? How often do we put down what we are doing to help someone else in need? We are not promised tomorrow. My town could be next. Or your town. Your home. 

Pause on this Monday to thank Him. Then find someone to help or love on. In an instant you could be the one in the storm. 

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the 

earth."-Colossians 3:2