Rating Hurricanes: Thoughts after Hurricane Florence

We have always rated hurricanes by their windspeed and the damage that wind inflicts on structures and infrastructure.  But perhaps it is time to reconsider?  I am quite sure the people looking at the weather models in the days leading up to the landfall of Florence understood this was going to be a MAJOR flood event.  They tried to tell us that it wasn't the wind but the water that would be life threatening.  Somehow it seems to have fallen on many deaf ears.  Why couldn't they get their message across?

In my opinion, it boils down to language barriers.  We rate hurricanes 1-5 and if you are in a hurricane prone area, you know how important it is to take a 5 seriously.  A level 5 hurricane can blow your house down, period, end of story.  A hurricane that is rated 1, meh... not so much.  If  wind was all we had to worry about with Florence, then who could blame the guy who chose to wait out the storm at home.  It was a big windstorm, but hurricane force windstorms happen all the time.  Here in the north, no one has ever told me to evacuate my house because we were expecting hurricane force winds.  You just stay inside and away from the risk of falling trees.  

The problem is, though Florence was a level one wind event is continues to be a level 5 water event.  Though the storm surges have passed,  it will take days to weeks for thirty inches of rain water to drain off of North Carolina (not to mention other areas) and back into the sea.  

Wouldn't it make sense to give hurricanes two separate ratings, one for expected wind damage and one for flood damage?  What could have been different if we gave people language for what was about to happen to them?  What would people have done if they had heard from weather reporters that Florence was expected to make landfall as a level 1 wind, level 5 water event with all major waterways being effected?  Would people inland have been more prepared?  

I'm not sure how to imagine what a level 5 water event would look like but I'm pretty sure if you gave language to weather reporters, they might start to create visual models to match predictions.  It's hard to imagine what thirty feet above flood stage looks like (yes, some rivers in North Carolina are really that high)  But, given the fodder to try, I'm sure news reporters would accomplish the task.  And perhaps with better language would come better preparations in the future. 

What do you think?

Muslims seeing Jesus in their dreams?

God is so amazing.  And we so don't get it!

Every day, I keep trying to accomplish supernatural things with natural abilities.  In all my trying I have come to understand a few fundamental truths.  Number one, the impossible really is impossible, unless we do it God's way and in God's time.  Number two, if it makes sense, it's probably not God's way.

Basically, if you want to really make a difference in the world, think of the best way you could accomplish that, and then do the opposite.  If you want to be rich, learn to be generous.  If you want to be first, chose to be last, if you want to be truly strong, be meek.  These are the kind of things that Jesus told us.  Even His plan for evangelism was sometimes to charge people not to tell anyone about what He had just done.  Really?  How does that make sense?

Sometimes we have guilted people into evangelism.  "If you don't tell these people about Jesus, they might die without Him and it will be on your head!"  Really?  If the LORD is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), then certainly He would give opportunity to anyone who would choose Him.   Wouldn't He?  

Jesus was in no hurry to "save" people.  He just walked, encourage people to follow Him and walked some more.  I don't see Him pleading with anyone.  He didn't push anyone to choose Him.  He simply was, and those who were compelled to follow Him, followed him because they couldn't not follow Him.  It sounds simple doesn't it?  You don't have to be flurrying about trying to set up a program to reach people.  Just be present and ooze love out of your pores.  See?  It's learning how to ooze  love, that is the real task at hand.  God will do the rest.  

Here's a good example of opposites and oozing :)  In the last few decades there has been a concerted effort by Islamic state and others to wipe out Christianity in the middle east.  Many people believed it could be done with news articles giving count downs for when the last Christian would flee.  And who could imagine otherwise? Many, many Christians have been martyred, and many have fled their native countries in fear for their lives,  But... some of the fastest growing Christian populations in the world right now are smack dab in the center of the middle east.  That's right, in response to heavy opposition, more people everyday are turning to Jesus.

The big question is how?  Many start their seeking journey because of a dream.  Over and over Christian missionaries in the middle east are reporting waves of new converts all describing seeing Jesus in a dream.  It's nothing short of a miracle!  It lets me know once again that God will win in the end.  My job is simple (at least in theory).  All I need to do is let God do the tough stuff and learn to ooze :)

Knowing Jesus

1 John 2:3-6
 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

I've heard this passage used as an example of what we are to do as believers in Jesus, almost as if is says, "If you want to be a believer then do what you can to keep His commandments."  But is that what John is saying?  Is this a list of things we now must do since we have come to believe?  Or is this a list of things that naturally occur because we live in Jesus?  Do we know that we know Him because our behavior has changed?  Or is it our heart that has changed?  How can the love of God be perfected in us without divine intervention?

I think it is important to know the answer to these questions because how we understand this passage changes everything.  If this is a list of do's and don't's then getting to know Jesus comes from our effort and success in accomplishing them.  If that is true then where is the freedom in Christ?  But what if this is more of a wake up call.  Check out your life, what are you seeing?  If you aren't oozing love out of your pores, then you are not intimate with Jesus!  The solution to your problem then is not to try to love better, but to run back to Jesus, to seek to know Him better.  Wow, what a switch in motivations!

In our world right now, it is hard to draw away from the distractions.  Now matter where you are you have phones ringing, if not yours then the guy next to you.  There is a constant temptation to dive into the internet and swim around there for hours.  But getting to know Jesus takes time.  Quiet time where you do as much listening as talking, well more listening than talking.  It takes effort to seek Him out and pay attention.  But if you want to be like Him, you must get to know Him!

What's on Your Bucket List?

I listened to a Christian talk radio show a few month ago.  The topic was on aging well.  In it one man suggested that we should all have a bucket lest with at least 50 things on it.  He suggested that you should always be crossing things off and then adding more on so that you continually lived with a sense of future.  He has a point.  As I am nearing the age of retirement, I find myself surrounded by piers who have aged out of there sense of adventure.

So I wondered, what are good ideas for a bucket list?  Did Jesus have a bucket list?  I sort of think He did and that He crossed the last one off His list as He was hanging on the cross.  Hmmm, that gives a whole new meaning to "bucket list" doesn't it?  I believe our lives are full of purpose.  We were created for something... something amazing!  But what is that exactly?  Now that we are looking to less time scrapping for money and more time doing as we please (at least we hope), what is next? And is our time for doing as we please?  That sounds pretty empty and a bit naive to me.  

I have a bucket list but just like my "to do" list, I often don't add something to my list until it has been accomplished.  Does anyone else do that?  Like, Bucket list item number one:  "deliver a baby".  Yup, I've done that, but it wasn't planned.  I just happened to be the one it fell to when the mid-wife came later than the baby.  Bucket list item number two:  Live through a tornado.  Yup,  I've done that too.  I didn't plan on that one either but I did add it to my bucket list just so that I could have the pleasure of crossing it off.

There are many experiences I would like to have before I'm done on this earth.  But the why is pretty important to me as well.  Experiences mean nothing if they do not draw ourselves or others around us closer to God.  (listening) Perhaps that's it.  Maybe my bucket list is about making the time and space to find Him.  Sit at His feet and listen.