KNOCKING Waves

Have I ever shared the story about the night my family and I slept on the couch cushions in the kitchen floor?

I was in the 3rd grade and my Dad came to my classroom door (before the days have having to get a Visitor's Pass from the Front Office) and the teacher said, "April, leave your things, you are going home, your father is here." I had no idea what was going on. I remember watching my dad's combat boots from behind and thinking, "Why is he walking so fast, I can't keep up! And, why isn't he at work?!"

Hurricane Iwa was hours within landfall of the Hawaiian Islands. Moyer Street was a buzz. Kids were walking home with their parents, traffic lights were blinking, and cars were dashing everywhere. We got home and my mom was preparing for "the storm." In the fearfulness of the moment, I remember thinking, "This is the first time my dad has ever walked me home from school." He held my hand and I enjoyed that.

Our home on the Army base was "full of huge windows and two levels." After that explanation, I had my first crash course in "Emergency Preparedness." I helped gather candles and then, was given a "very important job." I sat on the kitchen counter and filled pitchers, buckets, jugs...whatever...with water and lined them up right by my mom's orange-colored Tupperware canisters.

It started raining and the wind started to blow and that is when I remember sensing my mom and dad getting nervous. My Dad "gave orders" (he was in a military mode!) and told us to get all the cushions off the couch, love seat, and chairs. We lined them up in the middle of the kitchen floor. The kitchen had the smallest window and was closest to the front door.

There were very few things that I can compare that long night to. The sky got dark early and there were periods of time where we huddled together thinking that the house or at least the second level would not make it.

In some of the highest winds and hardest rains, there was a knocking at the front door. I screamed. I thought debris was hitting our home. But a harder knock came again with a yell. My dad went to the door and opened it. The cold, cold rain, wind, and palm leaves swept across the floor. A neighbor had walked over to check on us during the storm. My dad shared that we were ok and when he shut the door, I said, "That guy is crazy! Why would he check on us during the storm?" My mom held me and said, "He is just a good friend!" But I had my doubts about his timing!

In the days that followed, I remember seeing lots of debris, down lines, and the big palm tree uprooted...and that was in OUR backyard. Most vividly, I remember the Army Corps of Engineers coming house to house and offering to dig BBQ pits in yards for families. Lots of people had already bought their Thanksgiving turkeys from the commissary and needed to cook them. People were encouraged to use the pit to boil water and cook until utilities were restored.

I know this is nothing compared to what the people of Japan recently experienced and are currently facing. But when I heard that tsunami waves reached the Hawaiian islands, I couldn't help but to think of my own limited experience.

Just like that photo above shows the sign of the cross from a flying piece of wood and telephone pole, God can be seen during disasters. Remember seeing something similar after 9-11 or the church that was left standing? We just have to look for Him.

Let us remember that when we see images on the news that those are visual reminders of what we can pray for: those working on the nuclear reactor, search and rescue workers, children and families displaced, officials who are prioritizing needs, and the list goes on and on.

Last night, I watched the news and felt overwhelmed. What was The Flood like, Noah?! Tonight, I pray for what I see and wait with expectancy of the stories of how God had His Hand on people and places during this catastrophic time. For some, there will stories of God knocking on their hearts. Others will hear rescue workers knocking as they are found. And then, it is a reality that for some, they will hear, "leave your things, you are going home, your Father is here."

As the Lord knocks on our hearts today, pray. The waves and waves of our prayers do reach the ears of God! He hears them ALL!