Quick reflections on Hurricane Milton

As Floridians , we get used to hurricane warnings . Tampa Bay , where I am , hasn't been widely affected by a hurricane in over 100 years . Well , with Hurricane Milton , that changed . Most severe weather stays off the coast or devastates beachfront property . Katie and I have never been wealthy enough to worry about getting a lot of damage .

We live about 35 miles inland , which is too far for hurricanes like Colleen or Irma or several others to reach , but as the projections kept coming in , I knew we weren't going to dodge this storm . About seven years ago in 2017 , I convinced Katie to evacuate from Hurricane Irma .

When we returned a few days later , our house hadn't even lost power , much less any damage . In the time since , she's reminded me , most of Tampa is never in real danger , but this time I looked at her and said look , I feel pretty confident . We will probably be okay if we stay , but I know we'll be okay if we leave .

She didn't want to leave , but when I said that she simply asked how soon I wanted to go Could we leave in an hour ? She sent a couple of text messages to line up our accommodations and within 45 minutes we were on the road . Katie and I will probably always have this disagreement , which I appreciate .

She makes me slow down long enough to reconsider my decisions and often I go with her gut , but this time she knew I wouldn't let her win . I appreciate that about her . I posted something online saying we needed to postpone our conference . Everyone was understanding and nobody disagreed with that call .

When I posted the postponement on Facebook , I reminded everyone God was in control and asking for his blessing . Then we got in the car and headed for the panhandle . We saw my daughter and her husband , spent some time with his family and checked on the house occasionally with the cameras we had installed a few years ago .

When we got back home two days later , we lost a couple of trees . The power was out for about a day , but otherwise the damage was minimal . But we only had to look a neighborhood over to see roads gone , houses flooded and people who needed help . Many lost so much , while we were largely spared . I've got good friends who no longer have a house .

I have other friends whose entire first floor is basically flooded . If you ask Christians , some might say we were blessed , we dodged a bullet and undoubtedly that meant God had our back . But I'm not sure . I believe that . I don't know if God meant to keep us from suffering while our neighbors weren't blessed because they lost so much .

When you put it like that , I don't think anybody would say because we didn't sustain a lot of property damage , god was on our side . Look , that was the argument of Job's friends . Job was only suffering because he had done something terrible . But we already know that's not what was going on . So let me draw a few conclusions from being in a hurricane .

First , one of the true blessings of Hurricane Milton has been finding ways to make a difference to others . For years I've ended every podcast with be good and do good . Christianity includes both character and behavior . At times like this , christians do good stuff . In James we're told that true religion includes helping people who need help .

Specifically it calls out widows and orphans . But Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan , tells us plainly a Christian's responsibility is to help people he can help . I've reached out to some friends and people nearby and pitched in where I could , but I'm not interested in talking about me . Let me challenge you with the same challenge God does .

What will you do to help ? And please don't wait for a government agency or group of elders or a neighborhood program to do the work for you . If you have friends in Tampa , reach out to those friends and help them . It can be money , but the needs of hurting people aren't just cash . It can include interest , a prayer , a meal , an encouraging word .

It doesn't need to lower your bank account one cent , but it does need to help someone else in a way that others know . Christians have been here . I know I'm taking advantage of this tragedy because this literally hits home for me , but Christians change things for the better . They don't just admire those who take action .

No-transcript , christians aren't bystanders , they are participants . So what specifically will you do to help ? Second , where do you see God ? For as long as God has had followers , his followers have suffered .

Righteous Jews suffered , christians suffered , abel suffered , abraham suffered , righteous Jews suffered , christians suffered , Abel suffered , abraham suffered , elijah suffered , ezekiel suffered , john the Baptist suffered , jesus suffered .

At every time , people who love God keep suffering , sometimes because they are being righteous , sometimes because of something not their fault and sometimes because they were doing something stupid . David suffered both because he was innocent and because he was guilty . But what did he do with that suffering ? When he was being pursued by Saul , david trusted God .

When he was convicted by Nathan for cheating with Bathsheba and killing her husband , david came back to God . When he was being pursued by his son , absalom , david again trusted God , no matter what the problem was or what bonehead was making life difficult . David turned that into a better relationship with God .

James 1.12 says blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because , having stood the test , that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him . Good , righteous , good righteous people were hurt by Hurricane Milton , as well as atheists and people of every religious persuasion .

Suffering is everywhere , mostly because weakness is everywhere is everywhere , mostly because weakness is everywhere . We couldn't keep Hurricane Milton from coming to Tampa , much as we couldn't keep Helene from North Carolina or any other tragedy from happening . But because we do suffer , because we are powerless , it should help us recognize who has real power .

Look , there are many things you should remember . First , god is in control of all weather and the outcome of all weather . Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes God calms his children . I was listening to an interview with a popular conservative talk show host and in the course of the conversation he talked about being bullied as a child .

He was a scrawny kid who was easy to pick on . The person interviewing him asked how that affected him and he talked about the positive lessons he learned . He would write elsewhere about this quote . No child should have to be bullied and if someone ever tries to bully my kids I'll step in with the full range of possibilities at my disposal .

But being bullied can have two possible effects you can learn to stand up and cope , or you learn to identify as a victim . If you can hold your head up high even while you're being bullied , you're likely to live a stronger , happier , fuller life . You'll be able to better deal with the vicissitudes life has to offer .

We should also worry about how victims treat their victimhood and how they can turn that victimhood into strength for the long haul . Again , in violent weather and in violent relationships , god is in control . He's stronger than any storm . He's stronger than any bully . He is bigger than any problem we have .

But the second thing to remember is the one with all the power has an unending love and concern for you . God knows we're in a storm . He knows we suffer . Christians , at all times and in all suffering , find the strength and love of God . Finally , storms help us see what's really important . My wife still thinks we should have stayed in Tampa .

She always will . I know . When there's another storm she will remind me about this one . But during this crisis I learned again that when it was important to me that we leave , katie had a bad pact and was out the door within the hour . When we disagreed , she supported me because she loves me . Yes , I think she's wrong . I think we were better off leaving .

Sometimes she wins the fights and sometimes I do , but if she wins or I win , ultimately it's not that important . What is important is when a decision is made , we've got our bags packed . We may be pulling together a plan B , but we are together . As I watched the wind out the window five hours away through my phone , I was safe with my wife and children .

The people I loved were safe and near . The house is nice , but it's replaceable . Relationships are always more important than things , and that's a pretty easy lesson to learn . But even those important relationships are only shadows of the relationship . That makes the others pale in comparison .

James 1.17 says Every good and perfect gift is from above . The relationship we have with God isn't affected by Hurricane Milton , but it's a good reminder At a time when people have lost so much . God calls us to be grateful . He calls us to be grateful . He calls us to be helpful .

He calls us to let go of things not worth holding on to because ultimately they aren't all that important . We have some work to do because of Hurricane Milton , but it could have been worse . But it could have been worse . It's important to remember that God has now given us an opportunity to act like Christians .

God reminded us he is all-powerful and all-loving and he has helped us to see once more some things are simply not very important , even when they feel like it . So , yes , we weathered Hurricane Milton just fine Last week .

Ironically , the day before we evacuated to be out of Milton's path , I spoke with Keith Stonehart about what sin is and why it's a big deal . I also still have an interview with Andrew Roberts about worshiping God with song . We'll get to that . But in the meantime , pray for people who have been affected by the tragedies that we've all watched .

Help them , and if you can think of a way that I can help them , please get in touch with me . I'm happy to do what I can help them . Please get in touch with me . I'm happy to do what I can . We are all stronger because of this . It's not fun , but it is important and it is strengthening . So until next time , let's be good and do good .