Safe in the Storm

Drew and I are just fine after the events of Hurricane Ike. All that Bryan/College Station saw was alot of rain from about 3am Saturday morning to Saturday afternoon and alot of gusty winds. We are very grateful to be safe and dry!

I'll admit I did get a little worried beforehand, having never lived this close to the Gulf of Mexico. But we just kept checking the weather reports and they never encouraged our county to evacuate, plus most of the people we know who have been here a while didnt seem too worried. Although, the grocery store was a mad house when I went on Friday - the water and canned goods were all picked over. The checkout girl told me it was worse on Thursday. I think it took most people 45 min. just to get to the front of the checkout line!

It is interesting to see how people respond when disaster hits. I wish we always saw the best, but at least for me, I observed mixed responses. First, at the grocery store another car unapologetically swerved in and stole the spot I had been patiently waiting on (with my blinker on and letting the old ladies in front on me walk by!). And then in the grocery store people were bumping into each other and grabbing whatever they could when they could. On the other hand, that same day I heard of so many volunteer opportunities and shelters being opened. Drew and I both volunteered Friday evening (he went to Reed Area, a make shift hospital on the A&M campus, and I went to our church) only to find that there were almost more volunteers than evacuees. The Red Cross folks I talked with said they were blown away with how nice our shelters were and the level of generosity they had seen both at the church they were at that afternoon and then at Grace Bible that evening. It made me proud, although I am not really sure what of...I guess I think this what Texas should be like what I would like us to be known for. But most of all I really want anyone who calls themself a Jesus follower (and especially churches) to be known for their hospitality, generosity, and eagerness to serve. We should be the very hands and feet of Jesus to an unbelieving and suffering world.

I know we will have so many more opportunities to serve in the coming days and weeks. I think the Hurricane was certainly a disaster, a true representation of the fact that we live in a broken world. But our response to it...our response doesnt have to be broken or a disaster. Our response can be full of love.