Well, we made it. Hurricane Matthew blew through our area in the wee hours of the morning and, except for a slight few branches blown down, it left us untouched. It is truly an amazing thing. The winds were whipping the trees around, but our home was entirely sound. The water in our pond creeped higher and higher as the rains fell all day yesterday and this morning, but we stayed dry. Even our goats and kittens on the back porch didn’t seem affected by the storm…other than being a little afraid.
Early this morning, around 1:00, I woke up to the beginning of the hurricane. It was just south of us and still out in the water. The goats were clearly uneasy about the storm, so I laid on the inside of the sliding glass door while they laid on the porch in the hay to comfort them (it definitely helped!). In that moment, I prayed. I prayed for protection for friends and family in the storm. I prayed for our family. I prayed for our home, that God would place a dome of protection over it. I prayed for each structure on our property. I prayed for our animals. I prayed for peace of mind. I prayed that God’s angels would stand guard and protect us from harm.
For hours we could hear the 90+ mph winds whipping the trees around as though they were small twigs. Not once did I hear something rattle or shake on our house. This morning, the clouds were still covering the sky and the wind was still causing the trees and palmettos to wave, as though to wish us a “good morning,” but the hurricane had passed by. The power was out, and the kids were excited about the darkness and flashlights and candles. We still couldn’t see outside, but my heart sang when I heard Manly, our rooster, crow his happy morning song. I knew they must have made it through! Our chicken coop, goat house, rabbit hutch, barn, and other structures in our yard remained unharmed…not even a shingle out of place! Scott was even able to take the storm shutters down already. Of course our yard is a little flooded, but it’s no different than any big rain we get here.
God is good all the time! Thank you for all of you who prayed for our family and all those impacted by Hurricane Matthew. Let’s continue to pray for those who are and will be recovering for a long time.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
