I think it was New York Yankee great Yogi Berra who said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again!”
This is how I felt when I saw the low pressure system basically park itself over southeastern Louisiana. As I saw the videos being posted on social media and via various news outlets, I couldn’t help pray, “Lord, please, not again. Not so soon.”
As you well know, we dealt with historic flooding in March across northern and western parts of our state. Volunteers from across Louisiana, as well as our Baptist brethren from a dozen or more state conventions, responded to the need. All told, volunteers spent 80 days assisting victims during the spring floods – and here we go – again.
There is no answer to the “why” question on this side of heaven, but there is a promise found in Isaiah that can encourage us as we face the aftermath of another storm. “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.” Isaiah 43:2, HCSB
God promises that He’ll be with us when we pass through the waters. Even in the midst of a chaotic scene, God is there. Sometimes we sense His presence during the storm, but most often we do not. Either way, the promise is the same “I will be with you.”
Twice Isaiah uses the word “when.” “When you pass through the waters …“When you pass through the rivers.” If it seems like “déjà vu all over again” it’s because it is. In westernized Christianity, we’d like to avoid this truth however, we cannot. The storms WILL come. The rivers WILL rise. The current of these storms IS swift and can carry us off physically and spiritually if we’re not careful.
As is usually the case, God saves the best for last when He told Isaiah, and us, “they will not overwhelm you.” This doesn’t mean the storms are easy. This doesn’t mean the storms are painless. It’s doesn’t mean there is no loss. It does mean we’ll make it. As often as they come, as unexpected as they are, the storms will not “overwhelm” us.
So what can you do:
— Stay updated on the needs in your area through social media, our website, (LouisianaBaptists.org/DisasterRelief) or the Baptist Message website, BaptistMessage.com.
— Pray for the families affected, for the Disaster Relief volunteers and for God to provide comfort, wisdom and resources. Ask Him to draw people to Himself, even in the midst of this situation.
— Participate. Volunteers are needed and emergency training sessions are being conducted. Check with your local association, our website, the Baptist Message website or our social media outlets for the latest information regarding training events in your area.
— Donate. Many people have lost everything. Bring clothes, food, and cleaning supplies. Click on this link to give to our Disaster Relief efforts: LouisianaBaptists.org/DonateDR. Your Cooperative Program and Georgia Barnette gifts provide the equipment and infrastructure, but your cash gifts provide the specific supplies needed for each situation.
It may be “déjà vu all over again” as it relates to the storms, but it’s also “déjà vu all over again” as God’s people rise up and meet the needs He’s put before us. Through His grace, through His presence, and through His strength we will not be “overwhelmed.”
Grateful for you,
David Hankins
Executive Director for Louisiana Baptists
