“In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them” (Isa. 63:9a, KJV).
My heart is broken. My tears unending. My mind is reeling from the many images coming out of Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The destruction is beyond belief!
Countless numbers of you have written, texted, emailed and called to express your heartfelt concern and prayers. Thank you!
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Invariably I’m asked, “How is your family?” “How is your father’s house?” Every one of my family who live in the area has been accounted for. My father’s house, as I understand, is intact; however, the road to it is impassable.
The town of Montreat where I grew up, and which I still consider as home, has no power, food, water or internet. The roads are washed away, and people cannot get in or out. The town where my sister lives, Black Mountain, is underwater. In pictures, I can just see the top of the train station roof above the flood waters, the same train station where we used to meet Daddy when he came home from his evangelistic trips. The town where I went to high school, Swannanoa, has virtually been erased. Eradicated. It is no more. The village of Biltmore, where my mother loved to go for lunch, and where I still take my daughters and granddaughters, has been almost destroyed by flood waters that went as high as 15 to 20 feet. Boone, where my brother lives, has been underwater also, without food, water, power or cell service.
And those are only the places I am familiar with. I can’t imagine people in Georgia, Tennessee and the mountain coves where people are hidden away and may not be located for a long time. Everyone was cut off without power, cell service, food, drinkable water, medicines, baby formula and the list goes on. God have mercy on us! While FEMA and the government have been absent, my brother’s organization, Samaritan’s Purse, has an army of volunteers on the ground as well as helicopters in the air. I encourage you to volunteer or donate to Samaritan’s Purse and designate it for Western North Carolina.
Psalm 29:10 (NIV) has been emblazoned in my heart: “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.” I know He is in charge. He is in control. He could have contained this flood. If He is Lord over it, why didn’t He? This is one of those times when I simply bow to His sovereignty and trust Him when I have no answers to “why.” But I cling to what His Word says: “Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it”” (Song 8:7, NKJV).
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