Since August 25th, I have to admit I've watched more Weather Channel than ever before. I've learned that Jim Cantore is their daredevil meterologist so, last night following Bible class, when I saw that Jim Cantore had been dispatched to Galveston, I knew then and there Hurricane Rita was the real deal.
Since beginning my ministry in Texas, we have been in full-fledged crisis management mode. First is was Hurricane Katrina and the evacuees flooding Austin. The opportunity to help, not only financially but tangibly, was a blessing. Now, the shelters are near empty (last night, the news said about 350 New Orleanians were still sheltered in the Austin Convention Center) and are prepping for an influx of folks fleeing their homes along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Hotels in central Texas are filled. Scheduled sporting events are being changed. In one of the weirder things I've ever seen, Texas A&M rescheduled their football game with Texas State from Saturday to tonight. In the press conference to announce the change, the A&M President advised Aggie fans not to come in order to leave highways free for folks fleeing the coast. Weird.
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On a side note, we are having a big Friends Day this Sunday. All the weather in central Texas -- where Hurricane Rita is scheduled to be a Category One hurricane when it passes through -- is forecast to be out of here. But, we are likely to get a surge in unanticipated visitors who've fled the coast.
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All this reminds me of a question Randy Harris posed at the Tulsa Workshop back in the spring. In light of the end-times, Randy Harris asked, "If you know the ultimate outcome, should it change the way you live today?"
There is no doubt Hurricane Katrina has impacted hurricane preparedness. The outcome of Katrina has affected people's response to the forthcoming Hurricane Rita.
And shouldn't our entire existence be the same? As Chrstians, we know the ultimate outcome. We know how the story of life plays out. We know that in the end, those who have expressed obedient faith in Jesus Christ win.
Now, shouldn't that affect the way we live today? Shouldn't we, as people of victorious faith, live victoriously today?
