My hurricane experience taught me a few lessons.
My neighborhood sits against a levee, and as the rain saturated our city, the levee started to fill. When the sheriff and police officers came to talk to us about evacuating, they shared information about that levee and how the rain would force the levee to flood our subdivision.
They insisted on a mandatory evacuation for the homes in the rear of our subdivision. As we listened to them explain the details, I looked around the room at the angry faces of my neighbors. Then, the officers struck a rather intolerant tone: “either you leave, or don’t bother to call us if and when the levee breaks.”
Many of my neighbors were upset. They didn’t want to leave their homes and definitely didn’t appreciate the tone of the officials. The next day, when the police returned, they shut down power to those homes which might be in danger. And, officers then forced residents to leave.
Here is what’s interesting; many of us are just like my neighbors. God has given us his love and yet many of us refuse to take it. He has given us warnings, and yet we ignore those warnings. The Bible has given us example after example of people who went against God’s word. Yet we ignore that still small voice, and forge full speed ahead in the wrong direction.
Do we think we know more than God? Why do we jump into relationships when many times we know the person is completely wrong for us? Why do we buy something the Spirit tells us not to buy?
My neighbors fought the very people who were trying to help them. But many of us do the same thing. We fight God for our way instead of asking Him which way to go.
While I understand this was inconvenient, I also understand that this was for protection. The blessing is that I had everybody I know praying that water away. God protected my neighborhood, and not a drop of water has come out that levee.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
