A Magnolia's Heart Beats

"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven." ~ Psalm 107:28-30 (Emphasis, mine)

I live about 2.5 hours inland in Mississippi. For those of you who might not know, Gustav is a tropical storm that is projected to become a category 3 hurricane in the Gulf early Sunday. It's a little early to tell, but projections for landfall have it heading more toward N'Awlins (that's New Orleans to those who don't speak Southern), which we are also about 2.5 hours from.

This week, I am thankful that God is ABLE to still Gustav to a whisper, if He so chooses. My full confidence is in God. I know that He will do His will, and although I am praying hard that the storm does turn to a whisper, I am waiting with anticipation to see how He, in His sovreignty, will act.

I am also thankful for the lessons Hurricane Katrina taught me. I will be better prepared at home in case we do have power outages and aren't able to get many places easily. I will have full tanks of gas in every car, more ready-to-eat food at home, and not complain when I have to sleep outside on air mattresses under the carport because it is so hot in the house.

Because we had no power, we had no idea of the devastation sustained down on the coast. We saw some of it on our way to check on some family members an hour south of us, but we really had no clue. And I complained, I grumbled, I moaned and whined. I was hot! Hot, I tell you! Miserable. But I had a home to live in, I had my loved ones around me, I was safe. I have learned not to complain.

I'm also thankful for the little things in life that we sometimes take for granted...air conditioning, ice, gasoline, a cold deep freezer, electricity, clean water, cold sweet tea, shelter from storms in a sturdy home...I could go on and on.

I'm mostly thankful this week for the complete trust I have in God, knowing that He is able and He can do the impossible.

"Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

~ Luke 18:27 ~

Please join me in praying that He does the impossible with this storm. Pray the storm fizzles and doesn't build up strength in the Gulf. Most of all, pray that God's will be done, and if He chooses not to still the storm, that He will provide for those in its path.

Finally, please visit Iris, the hostess of Thankful Thursday to read what the she and other participants are thankful for this week. I hope you'll participate, too!