Acts 27:1-8

Acts 27:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  At times, our journey takes to the sea, leaving behind what we know and finding ourselves in the midst of something far bigger than ourselves, something that we cannot control.  If we have lived with the idea that we will be in control of everything possible, these legs of our journey can be shattering to our worldview, because you cannot look out at the sea from the midst of a boat and feel like you are in control.  You cannot look at oncoming clouds or an endless channel of waves and believe that the world revolves around us.
  At time, the chaos of the larger world ensnares us.  It is hard to believe some of the pictures coming out of Houston, the nation's 4th largest city, as immense amounts of water continue to flood the streets and freeways and houses and businesses there.  What has taken decades to construct is being pummeled in a weekend, and for many, life will never be the same.
  As the church, it is our job to recognize that our brothers and sisters in Houston need us.  We have a responsibility to remind them that the light still shines in the darkness, that the chaos of this world is a reminder that things are not as they ought to be, and that our God will one day set things right.  Financial gifts are the most immediate -- World Vision is the resource I trust to serve in the name of Christ.  Our prayers are important.  Mostly, I believe its important to keep the eyes of our hearts open so that we might hear when God calls us to action, so that we might be the kind of people ready to assist one another when the chaos of the seas comes crashing into the lives of the vulnerable.