hurricane damage

We had a wild and crazy hurricane party last evening.

It was supposed to be a "get grammy's house secured before the hurricane hits" event.

Thankfully, it turned into a celebration.

 Ian was staying well east of Savannah ~ out to sea.

 Although the wind has been blowing for many hours now, and a little rain has fallen, 

The storm has spared us.

 Thank You, God, for hearing our prayers!

Anyway,

back to the party.

David brought in Papa John's pizza and a delicious salad.

I threw out paper plates,

a pumpkin roll,

and made a pot of decalf.

It is always so much fun to be gathered around the table talking and laughing!

After dinner,

the kids went outside to ride scooters in the storm

and the adults sat in the sunroom,

 watching the storm blow the trees and the construction trash all around my house.

At some point, the boys came in to report that the stop sign had blown off of its post.

Of course, we all ran outside to see the damage.

The boy's reporting was accurate.

There it lay in the street in all its glory.

We eewed and awed and were reminded of how very blessed we were.

Many are suffering,

some lost everything they owned

some lost their homes,

some lost their lives, 

their family members, 

their pets.

Their world has been turned upside down.

May God have mercy,

send help quickly,

and comfort and console those that are devastated.

Storms make no sense, but they happen.

They are random and unpredictable.

Those of us who live on the coast are always vulnerable.

You can lose everything in a matter of hours.

We learn when to stay and when to go,

when to panic and when to remain calm,

always cautious,

watchful, 

waiting for the storm to run its course.

Thank You, God, that You are even sovereign over the storms.

Your power on display in a dramatic way.