I enjoyed a beautiful weekend — the sun was shining, the skies were blue . . . all in all, a perfect Southern California weekend!
It was not lost on me though that meanwhile, on the other side of the U.S., Hurricane Irma whipped through southwest Florida and left nearly 4 million customers without power. And though, Irma was downgraded as it moved over the western Florida peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said, it had sustained winds of 85 mph with its center 25 miles northeast of Tampa. The toll of the extensive damage and the impact on lives has yet to be determined.
In a recent blog, Anne Graham Lotz reflects on the impact of the Hurricane – beyond the loss of property, she shares about how to avoid losing hope in the midst of the storms of life:
As I reflect on the One whom I am asked to trust, my soul finds rest. You are my Great High Priest who understands. You are well acquainted with grief. Suffering. You understand by personal experience what it feels like to leave Home and be stripped of everything. You, too, were homeless with nowhere to lay Your head.
O God, You have been our help in ages past. You are our hope for years to come. And You alone are our shelter from this stormy blast. Our refuge and our strength. You are our Good Shepherd who will lead us safely through this Valley of the Shadow that has fallen over a weary land.
In addition to sharing about hope in Christ in her writings and her radio programs, “Daily Light for Daily Living” and “Living in the Light,” Anne recently debuted a Holding on to Hope resource page. The site includes audio, video and downloadable content with a focus on hope in Christ. The purpose of the website, as Anne shares, is
to give you resources to help keep you focused on hope. Embrace Hope for yourself. Then turn around. Give Hope to someone else. Give them Jesus!
(Please feel free to share the site and/or content on your site and social platforms – it’s sure to be of encouragement to your listeners.)
Regardless of the day’s forecast, here’s to the timely reminder that, as Anne shares, He is our shelter . . . our refuge and our strength!
