Home

Well, friends, it's been quite a few weeks.  If you're keeping track, Hurricane Harvey blew into the gulf and onto land in Southeast Texas about 10 days ago and then, like a great big a*hole, stuck around the Houston area for 5 days only to go back out into the gulf, re-fuel and then come back onto land devastating more areas east of here.  Record rainfall has caused monumental flooding in homes and businesses and displaced thousands upon thousands of people. 

And as we in Houston band together to try to clean up all this mess (there are now about 5,000 different Houston strong t-shirts and car decals that can be purchased to benefit flood victims and Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and JJ Watt have been asked to take over as pastors of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church), Hurricane Irma--Harvey's sister who apparently got even less love than he did growing up--has morphed into the biggest a*hole of them all, setting its sights on destroying Florida. 

I'm now up to three cups of coffee in the morning and 4 glasses of wine at night and my new parenting strategy sounds something like this...."Do not hit your brother!  There are children without homes and schools!" 

About mid-way through the storm I read an excerpt from AW Tozer on being at home with Christ.  Tozer talks about a Christian brother from Thailand who, in describing the godly life of one of the missionaries he worked with says, "He is in the Father's house now."  Tozer wrote...

What a vision for a humble Christian who only a generation before had been a pagan, worshiping idols and spirits—and now because of grace and mercy he talks about the Father's house as though it were just a step away, across the street.  This is the gospel of Christ—the kind of Christianity I believe in. What joy to discover that God is not mad at us and that we are His children....

Home will have a different meaning for many people now.  Some will return to just a shell of the former house they occupied--the walls and floors eventually restored, but emptied of most of its contents.  Some will not return at all. 

My Father's house has many rooms...And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.—John 14:2, 3

I do not know what to say to comfort those that are displaced right now, who have thrown away photo albums and furniture and family heirlooms.  I don't know what to say to someone sleeping in a shelter that might make them feel secure.  But I do know that there is a vast difference in the kind of shelter afforded by this world, built by our own human hands, and the of the kind of shelter provided by Christ.  As I look around my own home, filled and decorated with things I like and maybe even love (as much as you can love a chair and silver plated dachshund statue), I MUST remind myself that when the flood waters rise this is not my shelter.  My shelter is now and forever will be in Jesus Christ. 

Lord, there is much to pray for, so much to ask.  Be with those in recovery right now and with those that might be facing it in the days and storm ahead.  Let me remember that You are on your throne as much now as you have ever been.  Build a shelter around me, God, made of love and mercy and grace, one that will not fail.  And when I see someone in need, help me to proclaim your gospel in word and in deed, that this shelter would be theirs as well.  To the glory of Your name.  AMEN.

XOXO...Kelly