Caught Off Guard: Our Son’s Close Encounter

Two weeks ago, my husband, Jeff and I found ourselves in a desperate situation. We had gone to bed thinking the Atlanta area would be targeted for Hurricane Helene, but woke up to the news that it was in western North Carolina, where our youngest son is enrolled in college.  At 5:00 AM that morning, I woke up and realized I had slept through the storms and looked at the satellite and saw that it was right on top of the Asheville area.  Drew had called to tell us the night before that water was coming into his apartment, but he and friends were taking care of it.  I never would have considered that he would be in imminent danger because of this hurricane.  How in the world could a hurricane devastate this small mountain town? I will skip to the good news….Drew is o.k.  The campus and surrounding communities sustained devastating damage. We can all see on our newsfeeds how terrible this hurricane was.  The picture above is the town of Black Mountain and neighboring Swannanoa where they have extensive loss of life, and countless missing.  The interstate in and out was destroyed by mudslides and because of that, the recovery efforts were hindered. So many people were unprepared for anything like this, and we have asked ourselves a hundred times, “How could we have prepared him, and our family, better?” We have since called our family together and covered some basic must haves and do’s to try to be more prepared for future storms or natural disasters, including having that “bug out” bag that we have talked about getting together and never have. So many people had no time to gather their belongings, and it was critical to have essentials, including important papers, survival food and water, in a quick grab bag.  Do you have one ready? Here is a link I found online doing a quick search for top 75 items to consider for a “bug out bag”.  [HealingStrong has no affiliation with this website, and being a thrifty buyer myself, I would search local discount stores or online before purchasing items on this site.] Today, our hearts are focused on Florida and all of those in the line of Milton. The state of Florida hosts a large number of HealingStrong Groups, and we are praying for these communities. As I spoke with several of our group leaders post Helene, they all assured me that they were o.k., and checking on each other. Now, Milton is headed their way again and what we can do right now is to pray for them.  In preparation for Hurricane Milton, scheduled to hit early in the a.m. hours tomorrow….God’s people are reaching out online, sharing their resources, like opening up their land and homes to strangers. We keep seeing that FEMA is hard hit also, which means  help may not come in the ways we think.  Have you had the opportunity to serve anyone or give to the relief efforts? I pray if you are moved to do so that you will act. There are several non-profits that I would encourage supporting and one is Samaritan’s Purse.  They are a tried and true larger ministry organization, and I recently ran across a “boots on the ground” non-profit that is making great impact.  We loved Cajun Navy 2016 and what they are doing on the ground, leading mule teams and helicopter rescues. I have a favor to ask of you.  Will you join me in praying for our HealingStrong community in the line of the storms this moment? If you would, take a look at our Group Directory and search Florida.  Pick one of those groups and pray for their communities and the safety of our HealingStrong folks. The storm is about to hit and is predicted to be the worst in 100 plus years.  BUT GOD! Prayer is so powerful, and something we can all do now, before the storm makes landfall.  My prayer today is Psalm 107:29 (NIV): He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  I’m so grateful for HealingStrong and the love and support we are to each other.  If you are part of a group, please check on your participants and your group leaders even when you are not meeting. You never know who needs a phone call or text message of encouragement.  If you are not a part of a group, I hope you will consider finding a HealingStrong Group that is just right for you! Thank you for being part of HealingStrong. All my love and gratitude, Suzy Griswold HealingStrong Founder, President

“…‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Zec 4:6

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