Our friends in central and southeastern Louisiana really got smacked by Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane.
We know what that is like here in Lake Charles. We know the frustration, the misery, the challenges. We know the long, hard road of debris everywhere, blue tarps, downed trees, no electricity in many areas, no Internet. Exhaustion. Anxiety. It’s all very, very real.
And that is why we are praying for them . . . and will do our part in helping their recovery, even as we are still struggling with our own recovery. We are all in this together.
An Aesop fable tells about a lion who is prowling in a field. Four oxen are in the field. The lion tried to attack them, but they turned their tails to each other and faced outward. So every way that he tried, he was met by the horns of one of the oxen.
But one day, the oxen had an argument among themselves, and they went off alone to a separate corner of the field. The lion saw his chance. He attacked them one by one, and they were all finished.
The story ended with the simple statement, “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Let’s be united in our prayers and support for each other and for those who are struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
May our faith today be that of the psalmist: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear . . .” (Psalm 46:1)