"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression,

you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2-3

PART 1

The entire Gulf Coast was on alert. Every weather update seemed to reflect a change in Hurricane Katrina's intentions, from what strength her winds would pack to what direction she would take. Since the projected path for landfall remained west of Gulfport, Mississippi for midday on Monday, my husband, Keith, and I went to bed Saturday evening with plans to conduct our Sunday worship as usual. By the next morning, weather predictions had changed. The storm was now a category five hurricane, and the projected path of landfall had shifted more in our direction.

The handful of church members still waiting it out met together that morning and worshipped the One in control of all things, reassured each other of His power to do any thing, and then went to the beach and prayed that He would exert His power over this one thing - destroying it before it destroyed our city. We wanted this cup to pass from us, but we knew God well enough to understand that He may have another plan.

We awoke about 5:30 a.m. Monday to the sound of wind beating rain and tree limbs against our windows. Hurricane Katrina was about to make landfall on the southeastern tip of Louisiana with 175 mph sustained winds, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast would be her next target. We lifted up prayers for a shield of protection, and then everything went completely black. As I lay there listening to the storm, the darkness seemed to envelope me, and the noises outside my window grew louder and more intense with every moment that passed. There was no place to hide and nowhere to run. It was too late for that. So, there we were in the middle of what later proved to be the greatest natural disaster in American history.

Since tornado activity was a primary concern for our particular area, it didn't take me long to figure out that my closet may be the safest place for us to spend the next few hours, so I made a comfortable pallet on the floor and insisted that my husband join me. He reluctantly cooperated, and we were in and out of that closet for the next 8 hours, with an occasional look out a window to see for ourselves what was happening around us. Roofing shingles were flying off all the houses we could see, and it became apparent that we were missing a few of our own when we heard water pouring from the ceiling of our kitchen. Trees were bending to meet the ground below them, and privacy fences that had once separated us from the lives of our neighbors soon became a wooden pathway between the two. There, in the confines of our closet, we listened to the wind tear apart our home and prayed for the strangers whose voices we heard tremble with fear as they cried out for help across the radio airwaves. There was nothing more we could do but wait for it to all be over with and life to "get back to normal."

As soon as we felt sure the worst of the storm had passed, we telephoned our family to let them know we were okay. It was the last time we would have any communication with them for several days. Later, we made our way around a debris scattered yard to examine the damage done to our home and property. What we saw was bad enough to know that it was going to take a long time for life to get back to normal - if it ever really would. Our home was 8 miles north of the beach. How bad was it to the south of us? The next few days were a blur of hot, hard work from daylight until past dark. I was feeling overwhelmed by the task that lay before us and isolated by impassable roads, gas shortages, and downed communication lines. Radio reports were confirming what we had suspected - complete devastation all along the Gulf Coast, and the death toll for our area was climbing daily. Homes, businesses, churches, historical landmarks, and people that had survived previous hurricanes had not been able to withstand this one.

Several of our friends made it to our home during the course of that week and, even though it might have only been a few days since we had seen each other, we embraced as if it had been a lifetime. Gratitude for life spared was the sentiment of all. By the time Saturday rolled around, we were able to venture out and had the opportunity to walk through one of the hardest hit areas in our city. We found ourselves trudging amidst and over rooftops, sheetrock, and 2x4's that had once provided shelter and warmth for the families that had lived there. Now it was all just a heap of rubble. Photo albums, Bibles, and children's toys that had once been prized belongings of the ones who had possessed them were now strewn about like insignificant trifles. And the stench of rotting poultry that had spilled from the freight cars shoved 2 ½ miles west of their port was a sickening reminder that there may be bodies lying beneath us, buried under the layers of debris we were now standing upon. The drive back home was quiet, our hearts heavy with sadness as the magnitude of this catastrophic event hit us. We had breathed a sigh of relief many times during the past week - blessed every time we had reunited with one of our church families, but there were still so many we knew nothing about. What losses had they suffered? Tomorrow was Sunday. Maybe a few would make their way through the rubble to worship.

We drove to church Sunday morning praying for a big family reunion, and that's exactly what God gave us. One by one they came. Everyone was exhausted and some were homeless, but they were all alive and well. They weren't dressed in their usual "Sunday" clothes, and several were wearing day-old perspiration they had tried to cover up with an extra load of cologne; but, boy, were they a sight for sore eyes! None of them had ever looked so good. Every embrace was heartfelt and full of gratitude. Our time together was a mixture of tears and laughter as we heard reassuring reports concerning those who were missing among us. Property damage was minimal to devastating, but we all had one thing in common - we were alive and thankful for it! The truth is, there's nothing like losing everything you own to make you realize that everything you own is really nothing at all. The Lord says, "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Jer 9:23-24

The sanctuary was dimly lit that day with only the sunshine that came through an open door, but the light with which God flooded our hearts was enough to illuminate the true wealth we all possessed. We were together once again, worshipping the One in control of all things, reassured of His power to do anything, and grateful that Katrina could not destroy the one thing that really meant the most - our relationship with Him.

PART 2

That first Sunday morning was wonderfully comforting to our church family. My husband was a gift from God to his congregation, speaking words that dispelled fear and expanded the faith of us all. He assured us of God's love and watchful eye and reminded us of God's desire and ability to perform the miraculous. In the devotional book, Jesus Calling, the author writes, "Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention." For all of us who were gathered that morning, the scene was set. No sooner had we concluded with prayer and stepped foot from the sanctuary, than a stranger approached, asking if our church was going to help people. Of course Keith responded with a resounding, "YES!" and phase II of our journey began. There, sitting in our parking lot, was a 16 foot delivery truck packed full of supplies the good people from Spanish Fort, Alabama said we'd need. They were right. Our sanctuary was quickly transformed into a distribution warehouse for everything from toilet tissue to peanut butter, and diapers of every brand and size were piled as high as we could reach. Cases of water were stacked all along the sidewalk outside, clothing and shoes lined our hallways, and cots for volunteers began to fill our classrooms. Thankfully, a group of Volunteers of America from Florida came in to help us organize the donations that were pouring in.

The blessings didn't stop there. A doctor and his wife, also from Florida, set up a temporary medical clinic in our church nursery for several weeks, and then Volunteers of America sent in a mobile medical unit. Doctors from all over the United States came, offering their gift and sacrificing their time. A team of firefighters from Hungary rolled in with chain saws in tow, and they immediately busied themselves clearing our church property of fallen trees and debris. Little did we know that they were simply God's tools to make room for the thousands of volunteers who would come later, needing a place to pitch their tents.

Churches of all denominations from across our great country sent volunteers, supplies, gift cards, and even monetary donations with the only stipulation that we use them to bless people. When presented the opportunity, we readily opened our doors to the North Carolina Baptist Men as well. They set up their disaster headquarters and mobile cooking unit in our church parking lot and immediately began preparing and distributing hot meals for all those in need. Their first day was unbelievable, serving over 12,000 meals! The line of automobiles full of hungry and needy people reminded me of the final scene from the movie, Field of Dreams, seemingly never-ending. So many came, the Air National Guard posted a few men and women there to help direct and control traffic during the weeks that followed.

Miracles were a common occurrence. Whatever supplies began to run short would be the very thing found in abundance on the next moving van or 18-wheeler that pulled into our parking lot. Since ice was in high demand during the days we had no electrical power, long lines would form anywhere there was a possibility to get a bag of it. Once word was out that our church had some, people came from everywhere. One particular day, many bags of ice had already been distributed, and the supply began to run low. At that moment, a van full of folks from a nearby shelter drove up requesting the exact number of bags that remained. With others still waiting in line to receive even one bag, there was a question concerning this request. Keith walked up about that time, and the volunteer asked his advice. "If they need it, give it away," he said. "God knows our need, and He has the supply." He had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when a gentleman approached him asking if we needed any bags of ice. Keith turned to discover two refrigerated 18 wheelers full of nothing but bags and bags of ice! The miracle didn't stop there. The next morning we had two more18-wheelers roll in that were equipped with a piece of machinery that produced and bagged 2000 lbs of ice per hour! Needless to say, we never ran short again.

The testimonies of miraculous provision are too many to number, because God amazed us regularly! The drive home at the end of each work day always brought an additional blessing - like icing on the cake. Hardly a day passed that we didn't encounter a southbound caravan of utility vehicles transporting men who had come to help restore electricity to our city. Work crews came from as far away as Bronx, New York!

The lives of many were forever changed on August 29, 2005. Pain and suffering has been farther reaching than just a few months of disaster recovery; and, while my personal loss was very minimal compared to that of others, I will never be the same. The outpouring of support from across our nation was incredible! I had never been in a position to need such generosity and comfort, and when it came in such abundance, I was overwhelmed. Through our years of ministry, my husband has preached a truth again and again: that good and evil run on parallel tracks and often arrive at the same time, indicating the simple fact that nothing, not even the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history, can be determined as unmitigated evil. Intertwined in all the calamity that befell us that fateful day was the greater wonder that awaited: the opportunity to see and experience the reality of God, the power of unity, and the blessings that come when the two are combined. Whether it was through a spoken word, a hug of reassurance, a gift, or the practical application of good 'ol muscle power, God's love came through loud and clear by the willing hands of countless good people. Yes, for me it's a settled issue with no room for doubt: Katrina's force may have blazed a path of destruction, but the watchful eye of God was, and remains, undeniably absolute.