Hurricane
Matthew has come and gone. Thankfully,
Matthew did not make direct landfall while he was at the peck of his
strength. He seemed to be content to
roll up the cost doing most of his damage in the form of erosion. Living in FL means living with the annual
reality that this maybe the year you get clobbered by a monster storm. Every year beginning in April, before
Hurricane season officially begins on June 1, we hear the warning to have a
hurricane kit ready. The message is
announced over all media formats and is constantly repeated. State, county, local government agencies, as
well as, utility companies warn the residents of FL to make advanced preparations
for a hurricane. These warnings are
almost universally ignored.
For
example, last Wednesday while Matthew was pounding Haiti, frenzied shoppers
descended on the Wal-Mart in Lake City, FL. Lake City is the first big town you
come to when you enter FL on I-75. Lake
City is about 930 miles from Haiti, about the same distance as it is from NYC
or Chicago. These shoppers had
apparently not done their advanced preparations. Candles, flashlights, batteries, gas cans,
small propane canisters, bottled water and other emergency items were gone. Stock clerks were stalked as they came out of
the back of the store. Patrons wanted to
see if they had anything worth having. There was also a rush on pet food, air
mattresses, beer, wine and fans. I am
not sure why someone would buy 7 fans (I suppose it was in case their AC went
out). By Thursday morning, some gas
stations were out of fuels.
Please
remember that six months ago the authorities repeated the message: “Be prepared.” Instead, most people waited till the last
minute to panic buy. In my opinion,
hurricane Matthew did more to stimulate the economy than all the government
stimulus packages in the last 8 years. Imagine
black Friday shopping, with an “80% off” going out of business sale added to a
prediction of 4 inches of snow in Atlanta.
Every bread shelf was completely empty.
As
Christians we know that storms are coming in life. We know we will face hard times; there will
be broken relationships, there will be sickness, there will be death, and there
will be betrayal. The coming of the
storm is not, “if it will come,” but “when will the next one hit and where?” Personal and spiritual hardship is just like
a hurricane on the coast.
We
prepare for these future storms by how we grow in our faith now. But for many of us and for many members of
our congregations, we don’t prepare in advance.
When the evil of life comes roaring into our comfortable lives we panic
and are unprepared. Unlike a hurricane,
the hardships of life are of a nature that a trip to Wal-Mart will not
help.
If
you did not suffer from Hurricane Hermine a few weeks ago, Matthew is
coming. If neither Hermine nor Matthew
got you don’t feel left out, the National Hurricane Center has names picked out
till 2021. If you live in one of the coastal
states, one of these bad boys (or girls) might be coming for you. If you have not suffered yet, you will. My guess is that we all have suffered in the
past. Our task and calling as Christian
leaders is to help our people prepare for future suffering by growing a strong
faith.
In
the Cause of Christ
Charlie
The
following is a bonus and a sort of advertisement for my consulting work.
Thursday night, my wife and I spent some of
our prayer time asking God to protect His people in the midst of Matthew.
During the day Thursday, while the panicked preparation went on, I ate
lunch with a minister friend. During the conversation he shared with me
that his metal church building is suffering roof leaks. The screws that
hold the metal in place are breaking off and will all have to be replaced.
This metal building is only 6 years old. Thankfully, Matthew didn't
come anywhere near his building. But what if they faced serious winds?
If the screws break off and the roof leaks in a typical, summer, FL
shower, what would happen if they faced major wind force?
This is one of the reasons I strongly encourage
churches to use Sprung Structures for their buildings. As you look at the destruction caused by
Matthew, ask yourself, “Would I want to be in any of those buildings?”
In contrast, on March 13, 2015, Cyclone Pam
hit Vanuatu with winds of up to 155 mph. Warwick Le Lagon Convention
Center was used as a shelter throughout the category 5 cyclone and sustained
minor exterior damage.
"The Sprung Structure that you set up at
Warwick Le Lagon Resort has been working fine until last night when Vanuatu
experienced a category 5 cyclone, Pam. All the guests were housed in the
Convention Centre when the cyclone hit, but while it withstood the destructive
wind, the structure has sustained only some minor damage with the membrane.”
Tammie Tam, Senior Vice
President/Executive Director-Pacific Warwick International Hotels.
Ministry means that sooner or later we will face
a storm; if not a hurricane, then perhaps a tornado, a heat wave, or a
blizzard. In addition to the weather
related advantages of a Sprung building, there are numerous reasons why a Sprung
building is simply the best building option for churches. As you consider
your next building, it is wise stewardship to make Sprung a part of your
plans.
If you would like more information please email
me (Charlie@colemanssi.com) or
call/text (352-548-4837) or join us for the our Sprung Structure open house:
Thursday, November 17, 2016, at 1:30 pm
At Highpoint Church of God
Lake Wales, Fl.
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