“Under His Wings” Part 2

In this life, one beautiful moment can suddenly turn to destruction in the next. A hurricane had wreaked havoc in my neighborhood, but it became calm again. While my husband went to check on his parents, I stayed at home alone with my baby.

Glancing outside, I noticed the bright-blue sky had suddenly grown dark and ominous. Hurriedly, I closed all the windows and doors just before lightning flashed, followed by thunder, rain, and ferocious winds.

The winds broke windowpanes, swung windows back and forth, and blew open the front door, letting the rain pour in. I pushed the door shut and positioned a large chair behind it to prevent the winds from forcing it open.

I wrapped my sleeping baby in plastic so he would not get soaked and held him close, keeping his face exposed so he could breathe.

The rain and winds were coming from all directions. It sounded as if the roof were being ripped from the house. For a moment, I considered running outside should the roof be blown off; however, I decided to depend on my heavenly Father for protection. I sat on the floor with my back against the dresser, holding my baby tightly. I repeated Psalm 91 and sang William Cushing’s comforting hymn: “Under His wings I am safely abiding. Though the night deepens and tempests are wild, Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me, and I am His child.”* As I sang, a feeling of security came over me with the assurance that God would cover us.

It was still storming when I heard a knock on the door.

My husband’s welcome voice called, “Shirley! Shirley! Are you all there?” He said he was walking to his parents’ home when the hurricane returned.

A large van was parked on the side of the road, so he joined people who took shelter in it. The powerful wind had lifted it up and down.

More than twenty people lost their lives on the island that day. We thank God our entire family survived what became known as Hurricane Flora.

We praise Him for His faithfulness.

Under His wings, we can always find refuge.

Shirley John Blake