When Disaster Strikes

My family and I just weathered hurricane Helene. If you’ve heard anything at all about what has happened in Western North Carolina, then you know this was one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit our area in history. There are trees down everywhere you look. All of the rivers flooded to historic levels. Dams broke. Roads are just . . . gone. Not just blocked by trees or under mudslides—gone.

Our house is in the minority that has power, but most of WNC has no internet or phone services. It’s back to the 90s, folks. There is one spot in town that has a cell signal (for our carrier) that we’ve been driving to periodically to check messages and to contact friends and family. And to post blog posts. 😄 If we didn’t have that access point, I would probably lose my mind.

While my family has had it pretty good compared to most, this entire experience has been terrifying and frustrating. But I have seen so many glimpses of God’s goodness and grace, too.

This circumstance is really, really bad, but God is really, really good.

My parents’ house may have power, but my house just over the border in South Carolina does not, and I have no idea when the power will be restored. Some rumors have said one week, and others have said more.

We cannot communicate. With anyone. As I write this, I have no idea where my parents and brother are because I had gone to the cell service parking lot alone and they weren’t here when I got back and didn’t leave a note. (How rude! Might as well pull out all the 90s references . . .)

I can’t go home, and I only have enough of my daily medications to get through Monday morning. There might be a way down to South Carolina, but the person who told us about it described it as an “adventure.” I’m not sure my little car can handle that kind of adventure.

Gas is running out. Food is running out. And the accompanying panic that goes with that has started (though not as badly in WNC as in SC—that I know of).

All that to say, this circumstance is bad. But my circumstances are not powerful enough to change who God is. And He is good.

Here are the examples of His goodness that I have been counting for myself. Maybe you could start your own list.

• Our power never went out allowing continuous pressurization of my room (a trick my Dad learned to help with pressure-related migraines) and only a four-hour long migraine when the storm started on Thursday. I had next to no migraine symptoms on Friday when the worst of the storm was here.
• We were able to find the groceries we needed Sunday morning—including shelf-stable, special diet-friendly food—with very little hassle. We just needed to leave the house at 6:30 a.m.
• None of my friends or family has been hurt.
• We have a place to go to find cell service.
• On Saturday, we were able to go on a fun adventure to see Looking Glass Falls. We climbed through two mudslides to do it and got ridiculously filthy, but it was a blast.

Yeah, I’m frustrated and impatient, but I should be still and watch God work.

I want to be home. I love my family, but I want to be back to my life in SC, to my friends and my church.

But God is asking me to wait. I literally have no choice. I can’t leave. I can’t communicate. I can’t really do anything. All I can do is trust Him, wait on Him, and watch Him do amazing things.

God can minister to others through me.

Saturday, I went with my parents to check on a few people from their church. Since the phones are down, the only way to communicate is in person. So many neighbors were out helping other neighbors. Maybe it’s a good thing we’re cut off. It’s forcing us to notice and care for those around us.

As Mom and Dad and I were out visiting, I noticed how much it meant, especially to those without power, to have contact with someone. Even just reaching out and asking, “Do you have everything you need?” is enough to encourage someone during a disaster like this.

It feels like everything is out of control, but God is still in control.

I can do nothing about any of my circumstances right now. The roads, the cell service, the internet, the gas, the food—none of it. But again, our circumstances are not powerful enough to change who God is. If you limit your understanding of God to just what your circumstances are saying, then you need to get to know Him better. He is so much bigger! And He is using these circumstances—as bad as they are—to do something good. We may never know what all that is. It could only be forming us more into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:28-29). But whatever it is, we can rest in knowing that He is good and He never changes.

UPDATE: I was able to find a way back to SC. I am safely home. I still have no power down here, and probably won’t until Friday, but I have power where I work and will be able to charge things there. I have everything I need. God is so good.