I recently had the privilege of joining my daughter, granddaughter, and son in law (and his family) on the island of St. John, USVI to celebrate his 30th birthday. The island sustained catastrophic damage and loss after hurricanes Irma and Maria last fall (2017). I was very sad to see the devastation and destruction of homes, landscape and boats. Surprisingly, though, the people we spoke to had an attitude of thankfulness for the miracle that not one person died on St John during the hurricanes. They are also full of hope that their island will recover and be better than ever.

Father God, the St John vacation reminded of the good things You can accomplish via a storm. We may be battered and bruised, but still able to stand firm on You and Your promises. Help me to continue to build my life upon Your Foundation. Thank You for life’s storms because they can realign perspectives and attitudes. Storms can simplify life and get us back to basics. Storms help us focus on what is important. Storms can also clean up the messes in our lives and put us back on a straight path. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the Rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27) And have you ever smelled the air after a storm? Crisp, Clean and Electrifying