Letter of the Day | God will take us through the storm

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Every now and then, events occur which bring us to our knees. We realise how fragile we are, despite our intense supernatural status of being created in God’s image and likeness, according to Genesis 1:17.

Beryl, the new kid on the block, completely floors our brightest plans, rubbishing our dreams on the projected trajectory of a dangerous ‘bad eye’.

During Gilbert, there was much festivity in the first wave visit, but it literally became a nightmare by late afternoon. As Admiral Baily proclaimed, “So yuh think mi done? ... But mi just ah come”. I remember myself and my sister Gillian Kaye using our bodies to shield windows with blankets in our bedroom. Many huddled together during the vicious Gilbert.

But despite all our fears, we are reminded of the power of the Almighty. The hymn ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ by John Greenleaf Whittier chants “Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire, O still small voice of calm”.

We must prepare diligently like the five wise virgins, related by Jesus, in tilling the lamps with oil. We cannot wait till the last minute.

In the midst of the turmoil of the news viewing Beryl’s damage in the Caribbean, a beautiful WhatsApp message emerged on my screen. It was a wakeup call stirring the image of the power of Christ to still storms and walking on the water. We can face the most dreadful foe or earth-shattering diagnosis when we look to our God.

In the WhatsApp circulation, the recommendation advised “Forwarding All Issues to Heaven (FAITH)”. The prayer titled, ‘Prayer For Protection Against Hurricane Beryl’, pleaded: “You are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control: the Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land, and spread chaos and disaster.”

The author pleads for support for those who are already so traumatised by poverty, victims of myriad crimes in our land and now this jolt.

The heartfelt prayers requests: “Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with passing of time.”

Sanity and peace must be maintained, and we have to deploy safe diversions to protect our mental health when faced with dire distress.

Let us prepare and sing like Donnie McClurkin, “...when you have done all you can ... you just Stand.”

Our God will be our “light in countless hours”.

Let us pray and praise in every storm and battle.

HELEN-ANN ELIZABETH