The Sun Comes After the Rain

Classes at Kennesaw State were cancelled for the past several days because of the heavy rains and flash floods all around the Atlanta area. Lower lying areas and areas near creeks and rivers are in several feet of murky water. I don't personally know of anyone who has been affected by the floods, but the newscasts have been very telling. Many people have lost homes and several have died.

As a group, RUF students gathered yesterday to help out at the nearest Red Cross Shelter in Cobb County. Unfortunately, since we are not registered Red Cross volunteers, we were not allowed to help. Situations like this make me feel so helpless. The only way in which I was affected by the flooding was several inconvenient road closures and a couple of hours spent in traffic. I feel guilty that we spent the weekend dancing in the rain and rejoicing over cancelled classes, while some of our neighbors were experiencing devastation from the same rain clouds.

I was six years old when Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Florida. I was spending the summer in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with my grandparents. I remember coming home to the U.S. after the storm had passed. I remember walking in the townhouse and onto soggy carpet. The lake in the back yard had so obviously flooded our home. Everything was wet and dirty and smelly. I also remember going to the storage unit we kept most of our stuff at. The sun was shining through where a wall used to be. I remember finding a few of my toys strewn about. That's about all I remember.

Like Andrew, like Katrina, this will pass. God is sovereign over the weather. As hard as it may be to believe or understand, He has a purpose for allowing this to happen when it did and His purpose is Good. The sun ALWAYS comes out after a season of rain. The sun is shining outside. Thankfully, the rain has died down and the waters are receding in some areas. Some more rain is on its way, but, hopefully, the worst is over. Please, pray for those who have been affected.