After Hurricane Ike swept through Texas, I heard an interesting comment: The aftermath is always worse.
Yes, it is - loss of electricity, too much water and no running water, loss of life, loss of homes, little food to eat, no hot showers, maybe no showers at all . . . so much loss and devastation becomes apparent in the aftermath.
Isn't that the way life is? The rains, wind and tidal waves of life come in the form of accidents, acute illnesses, divorce, death . . . . Those happenings come like a hurricane - swiftly, sometimes without warning.
Then comes the aftermath - the trauma of looking around at the destruction and devastation caused as a result. It seems overwhelming . . . stunning.
After the initial shock begins to wear off, there are decisions to be made and clean-up begins. Maybe bulldozing the entire mess is the only way to begin anew. It is all so difficult as everything seems changed, forever altering our lives. The aftermath seems worse than the actual event.
Yet in the aftermath there comes a time to begin thinking of re-building. That, too, takes effort to even envision what one wants to build. It takes courage to go to God to get His plan for the rebuilding.
It's messy work, this rebuilding. Slowly and steadily you move forward - sometimes it feels like you take one step forward and two backward. But rebuilding goes on - for years, it seems, until one day you can stand back and view it all more objectively - there was progress. Slow and steady progress.
Yes the hurricane came and went. The aftermath was very difficult as was the rebuilding. Yet God in His mercy had you in His hand all the time - before, during and after - to protect you from the winds of adversity. To give strength to you during the aftermath. To give you a new vision for what can be. To walk with you during the rebuilding.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, establish and strengthen you. I Peter 5:10
Heavenly Father, thank You for being with me during it all - my entire life. Please show me how to walk with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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