Hurricane (Story)

Hurricane Isaac brought this story to mind, much like hurricanes in the past few years. It was originally published here, and I wanted to share it with my readers while the hurricane was still fresh in people's minds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One day there was a bad storm causing tremendous flooding. The whole area had been ordered to evacuate, but one man stood his ground and said, "No, I have Faith that God will save me."

All his neighbors left. 

A jeep pulled up to his house and the driver called out, "Hey, guy, it's time to leave." The National Guards pounded on his door, trying to convince him to leave.

He adamantly refused to leave, claiming, "No, I have Faith that God will save me." 

The storm got worse, the water rose, lashing at the first floor windows.

A boat came by and the woman called out above the wind and rain, "HEY! You inside, you should have left earlier, but I can still get you to safety. It's time to go."

The man stayed inside, stubbornly refusing the assistance. "No," he shouted back through a window, "I have Faith that God will save me."

The woman and boat moved on, searching for other survivors.

The waters continued to rise, eventually forcing the man up onto his roof where he clung to a chimney and prayed, "I still have faith in You, God. I know that You will save me."

A helicopter came. The people within lowered a rope asking him to climb up.

He refused. 

One of the rescuers lowered himself on another rope and tried to tie the rope around him.

He adamantly wrapped his arms around the chimney, hindering the efforts. "No," he cried between clenched teeth, "I have Faith that God will save me." 

With the storm's winds and rapidly rising water churning around his legs, the rescuer, at last, had to abandon the man to his fate and leave with the helicopter.

Soon after, the storm and the waters claimed the man on the roof -- drowning him. 

The man found himself before the pearly gates of Heaven and stood puzzled before God. "Why?" he asked. "Why? I had Faith that You would save me. Why did I drown when I had such Faith in You?" 

God looked down at the man and shook His head sadly. "I sent you a jeep, a boat and a helicopter. What more did you want?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are times when we expect God will send help in ways WE want. We seem to tell God how to save us, how to help us, how to behave.

When we do that, we fail to see God working through others.

~ESA

Images: Sources unknown, though I believe helicopter shot is from Atlanta floods a few years ago.