Made it!

So we're fine even though the eye of Hurricane passed right over us (which meant we had a weird, eerie calm from 11pm to midnight). Amazingly we've had power this entire time too. I consider it a miracle that the house is fine, no swimming pool in the basement and the big shade tree didn't come crashing down; it didn't even lose any branches. I'm absolutely relived. Honestly, I'm been super anxious since about Thursday. When I picked up my son from school on Friday, I wasn't sure when he'd be going to school next. Not sure about tomorrow yet.

Someone else posted a link to an entire litany for the hurricane, and ended in a short, stand-alone prayer:

"God of heaven and earth, God who carries our lives and the lives of [all in Sandy's path] in your hands, be with all those in peril this day/night. Help us to release our anxieties and fears into your caring hands, knowing in faith that your will for us is life and everlasting good. Send your holy angels to watch over us and guard us. May your angels spread their holy wings to give all in danger shelter against the storm. For you alone, O God, are all good, all life, all love, and that love is for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

I know it's so easy for me to feel relieved right now, and feel I've experienced a miracle in that this area was not turned into a total swamp, because my house is fine, everyone is safe, people without power in this area have access to hot showers and we've stocked up on food and water and Dr. Pepper. I like to think that if the big tree HAD fallen on the house that I would still be praising God for no loss of life and everything else there is to be thankful for: people offering us a place to stay and repair crews.

Really, there are always reasons to be thankful and praise God. It sounds insane to say that in light of all the horrible things that happen in life. As I said above, I didn't have a catastrophe during this hurricane (The problem of evil is called Theodicy), but there are plenty of places that need help cleaning up once the waters recede. I need to go help out. Why? Because people need help, from drinking water to another person to help rip up water-logged carpet from a flooded house. 

When awful things happen it's not enough to try to stay out of harm. It's not enough to be glad things weren't worse. We also need to get out there and help. If you think that God can just do it himself then you're denying him an opportunity to work through you. 

I'm not just going to preach. I'm posting this so others can hold me accountable: that somehow I will help with Maryland or Delaware clean up efforts.

Hurricane Sandy. I mean, THAR SHE BLOWS!

I'm feeling anxious about hurricane Sandy. So I'm trying to look on the lighter side of things.

What NOT to do during a hurricane

1. Go outside and try to recreate any bodywash or shampoo ad where they lathered up outside. It's raining hard enough to take a shower out there, but resist the urge.

2. Put out Halloween candy. It will blow away. Keep it inside and within reach.

3. Buy the wrong kind of batteries.

4. Figure you'll just grab drive-thru for dinner while it's hurricaning.

5. Call and ask Comcast or anyone else why your cable is out and your computer won't work in the power outage aftermath.

6. Get a drastically different haircut. There's enough anxiety already.

7. Run errands.

8. Visit a corn maze.

9. Garden.

10. Paint the shutters.

11. Take the dog for a nice, long walk.

12. Illegally copy movies.

13. Walk into Mordor.

14. Gripe about the other candidate. 

15. Try to tame a skunk.