Oct. 15, 2024
Quick reflections on Hurricane Milton
Ever been through a hurricane? In this episode, Dr. Kenny Embry gets real about riding out Hurricane Milton and what it taught him about faith, priorities, and the true meaning of being blessed. Hint: it's not just about dodging the damage! Join us as we explore how to find strength in the storm, step up for others, and remember what really matters when life throws a curveball. You might be surprised by what God shows you in the aftermath.
Key Takeaways:
- True Blessing is Found in Serving Others: Dr. Embry challenges the notion that being spared from a storm equates to being "blessed" by God. Instead, he emphasizes the opportunity to demonstrate God's love by serving those in need, particularly during times of crisis.
- Strength Emerges in Adversity: The experience of facing a hurricane can reveal inner strength and resilience that we may not have known we possessed. Dr. Embry encourages listeners to recognize the ways in which God provides strength and support during challenging times.
- God's Power and Love are Constant: Even in the midst of chaos and destruction, God remains in control. Dr. Embry emphasizes the importance of remembering God's power over all circumstances and his unwavering love and concern for his children.
- Storms Reveal What Truly Matters: Hurricanes and other trials can force us to re-evaluate our priorities and focus on what is truly important. Dr. Embry highlights the value of relationships and our connection to God, reminding us to let go of material possessions and embrace the things that truly matter.
Memorable Quotes:
- "Christians change things for the better. They don't just admire those who take actions. They are in the arena."
- "Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes God calms his children."
- "Relationships are always more important than things."
- "At a time when people have lost so much, God calls us to be grateful. He calls us to be helpful. He calls us to let go of things not worth holding onto."
Applications:
- Take Action to Help Others: Reach out to friends, family, or neighbors affected by the hurricane and offer support. This could involve financial assistance, practical help, or simply a listening ear and words of encouragement.
- Reflect on Your Own Experiences: Consider how you have experienced God's strength and presence in your own life, particularly during challenging times. Journal about these experiences and the lessons you have learned.
- Re-evaluate Your Priorities: Take time to assess what truly matters in your life. Focus on nurturing your relationships and deepening your connection with God.
- Practice Gratitude: Cultivate an attitude of gratitude, even in the face of adversity. Thank God for the blessings in your life and the opportunities to serve others.
Be good and do good.
Chapters
00:00 - Trusting God in Hurricane Challenges
12:12 - Strengthening Faith After Hurricane Milton
Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.472
In this episode of Balancing the Christian Life, we talk about trusting God in a hurricane.
00:00:04.472 --> 00:00:09.646
Welcome to Balancing the Christian Life.
00:00:09.646 --> 00:00:10.609
I'm Dr Kenny Embry.
00:00:10.609 --> 00:00:14.891
Join me as we discover how to be better Christians and people in the digital age.
00:00:14.891 --> 00:00:24.172
To start off, answering the question I have answered dozens of times we're fine.
00:00:25.062 --> 00:00:27.182
As Floridians, we get used to hurricane warnings.
00:00:27.182 --> 00:00:32.381
Tampa Bay, where I am, hasn't been widely affected by a hurricane in over 100 years.
00:00:32.381 --> 00:00:35.432
Well, with Hurricane Milton, that changed.
00:00:35.432 --> 00:00:39.826
Most severe weather stays off the coast or devastates beachfront property.
00:00:39.826 --> 00:00:44.960
Katie and I have never been wealthy enough to worry about getting a lot of damage.
00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:58.231
We live about 35 miles inland, which is too far for hurricanes like Colleen or Irma or several others to reach, but as the projections kept coming in, I knew we weren't going to dodge this storm.
00:00:59.152 --> 00:01:03.756
About seven years ago in 2017, I convinced Katie to evacuate from Hurricane Irma.
00:01:03.756 --> 00:01:14.283
When we returned a few days later, our house hadn't even lost power, much less any damage.
00:01:14.283 --> 00:01:21.980
In the time since, she's reminded me, most of Tampa is never in real danger, but this time I looked at her and said look, I feel pretty confident.
00:01:21.980 --> 00:01:26.680
We will probably be okay if we stay, but I know we'll be okay if we leave.
00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:36.162
She didn't want to leave, but when I said that she simply asked how soon I wanted to go Could we leave in an hour?
00:01:36.162 --> 00:01:43.506
She sent a couple of text messages to line up our accommodations and within 45 minutes we were on the road.
00:01:43.506 --> 00:01:48.225
Katie and I will probably always have this disagreement, which I appreciate.
00:01:48.225 --> 00:01:58.430
She makes me slow down long enough to reconsider my decisions and often I go with her gut, but this time she knew I wouldn't let her win.
00:01:58.430 --> 00:02:00.694
I appreciate that about her.
00:02:01.861 --> 00:02:04.989
I posted something online saying we needed to postpone our conference.
00:02:04.989 --> 00:02:12.543
Everyone was understanding and nobody disagreed with that call.
00:02:12.543 --> 00:02:17.013
When I posted the postponement on Facebook, I reminded everyone God was in control and asking for his blessing.
00:02:17.013 --> 00:02:20.729
Then we got in the car and headed for the panhandle.
00:02:20.729 --> 00:02:29.691
We saw my daughter and her husband, spent some time with his family and checked on the house occasionally with the cameras we had installed a few years ago.
00:02:29.691 --> 00:02:33.907
When we got back home two days later, we lost a couple of trees.
00:02:33.907 --> 00:02:38.563
The power was out for about a day, but otherwise the damage was minimal.
00:02:38.563 --> 00:02:46.675
But we only had to look a neighborhood over to see roads gone, houses flooded and people who needed help.
00:02:46.675 --> 00:02:52.132
Many lost so much, while we were largely spared.
00:02:52.132 --> 00:02:55.449
I've got good friends who no longer have a house.
00:02:55.449 --> 00:03:01.132
I have other friends whose entire first floor is basically flooded.
00:03:02.700 --> 00:03:10.884
If you ask Christians, some might say we were blessed, we dodged a bullet and undoubtedly that meant God had our back.
00:03:10.884 --> 00:03:12.888
But I'm not sure.
00:03:12.888 --> 00:03:13.590
I believe that.
00:03:13.590 --> 00:03:21.592
I don't know if God meant to keep us from suffering while our neighbors weren't blessed because they lost so much.
00:03:21.592 --> 00:03:30.307
When you put it like that, I don't think anybody would say because we didn't sustain a lot of property damage, god was on our side.
00:03:30.307 --> 00:03:33.381
Look, that was the argument of Job's friends.
00:03:33.381 --> 00:03:36.868
Job was only suffering because he had done something terrible.
00:03:36.868 --> 00:03:41.403
But we already know that's not what was going on.
00:03:41.403 --> 00:03:46.412
So let me draw a few conclusions from being in a hurricane.
00:03:47.794 --> 00:03:56.334
First, one of the true blessings of Hurricane Milton has been finding ways to make a difference to others.
00:03:56.334 --> 00:04:00.784
For years I've ended every podcast with be good and do good.
00:04:00.784 --> 00:04:06.012
Christianity includes both character and behavior.
00:04:06.012 --> 00:04:11.484
At times like this, christians do good stuff.
00:04:11.484 --> 00:04:17.802
In James we're told that true religion includes helping people who need help.
00:04:17.802 --> 00:04:20.627
Specifically it calls out widows and orphans.
00:04:20.627 --> 00:04:28.867
But Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, tells us plainly a Christian's responsibility is to help people he can help.
00:04:29.848 --> 00:04:36.307
I've reached out to some friends and people nearby and pitched in where I could, but I'm not interested in talking about me.
00:04:36.307 --> 00:04:42.024
Let me challenge you with the same challenge God does.
00:04:42.024 --> 00:04:45.209
What will you do to help?
00:04:45.209 --> 00:04:52.749
And please don't wait for a government agency or group of elders or a neighborhood program to do the work for you.
00:04:52.749 --> 00:04:56.783
If you have friends in Tampa, reach out to those friends and help them.
00:04:56.783 --> 00:05:02.362
It can be money, but the needs of hurting people aren't just cash.
00:05:02.362 --> 00:05:07.473
It can include interest, a prayer, a meal, an encouraging word.
00:05:07.473 --> 00:05:16.262
It doesn't need to lower your bank account one cent, but it does need to help someone else in a way that others know.
00:05:16.262 --> 00:05:18.187
Christians have been here.
00:05:18.187 --> 00:05:31.875
I know I'm taking advantage of this tragedy because this literally hits home for me, but Christians change things for the better.
00:05:31.875 --> 00:05:36.278
They don't just admire those who take action.
00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:46.048
No-transcript, christians aren't bystanders, they are participants.
00:05:46.048 --> 00:05:51.350
So what specifically will you do to help?
00:05:51.350 --> 00:05:56.250
Second, where do you see God?
00:05:56.250 --> 00:06:01.050
For as long as God has had followers, his followers have suffered.
00:06:01.050 --> 00:06:16.569
Righteous Jews suffered, christians suffered, abel suffered, abraham suffered, righteous Jews suffered, christians suffered, Abel suffered, abraham suffered, elijah suffered, ezekiel suffered, john the Baptist suffered, jesus suffered.
00:06:18.052 --> 00:06:32.612
At every time, people who love God keep suffering, sometimes because they are being righteous, sometimes because of something not their fault and sometimes because they were doing something stupid.
00:06:32.612 --> 00:06:38.583
David suffered both because he was innocent and because he was guilty.
00:06:38.583 --> 00:06:42.048
But what did he do with that suffering?
00:06:42.048 --> 00:06:47.735
When he was being pursued by Saul, david trusted God.
00:06:47.735 --> 00:06:54.673
When he was convicted by Nathan for cheating with Bathsheba and killing her husband, david came back to God.
00:06:54.673 --> 00:07:07.776
When he was being pursued by his son, absalom, david again trusted God, no matter what the problem was or what bonehead was making life difficult.
00:07:07.776 --> 00:07:12.588
David turned that into a better relationship with God.
00:07:12.588 --> 00:07:27.547
James 1.12 says blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
00:07:28.988 --> 00:07:38.692
Good, righteous, good righteous people were hurt by Hurricane Milton, as well as atheists and people of every religious persuasion.
00:07:38.692 --> 00:07:49.665
Suffering is everywhere, mostly because weakness is everywhere is everywhere, mostly because weakness is everywhere.
00:07:49.665 --> 00:07:54.281
We couldn't keep Hurricane Milton from coming to Tampa, much as we couldn't keep Helene from North Carolina or any other tragedy from happening.
00:07:54.281 --> 00:08:03.752
But because we do suffer, because we are powerless, it should help us recognize who has real power.
00:08:03.752 --> 00:08:07.115
Look, there are many things you should remember.
00:08:07.115 --> 00:08:14.490
First, god is in control of all weather and the outcome of all weather.
00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:20.769
Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes God calms his children.
00:08:22.053 --> 00:08:29.512
I was listening to an interview with a popular conservative talk show host and in the course of the conversation he talked about being bullied as a child.
00:08:29.512 --> 00:08:32.889
He was a scrawny kid who was easy to pick on.
00:08:32.889 --> 00:08:39.594
The person interviewing him asked how that affected him and he talked about the positive lessons he learned.
00:08:39.594 --> 00:08:43.470
He would write elsewhere about this quote.
00:08:43.470 --> 00:08:53.354
No child should have to be bullied and if someone ever tries to bully my kids I'll step in with the full range of possibilities at my disposal.
00:08:53.354 --> 00:09:03.052
But being bullied can have two possible effects you can learn to stand up and cope, or you learn to identify as a victim.
00:09:03.052 --> 00:09:13.192
If you can hold your head up high even while you're being bullied, you're likely to live a stronger, happier, fuller life.
00:09:13.192 --> 00:09:17.730
You'll be able to better deal with the vicissitudes life has to offer.
00:09:17.730 --> 00:09:29.000
We should also worry about how victims treat their victimhood and how they can turn that victimhood into strength for the long haul.
00:09:30.123 --> 00:09:38.654
Again, in violent weather and in violent relationships, god is in control.
00:09:38.654 --> 00:09:41.644
He's stronger than any storm.
00:09:41.644 --> 00:09:43.249
He's stronger than any bully.
00:09:43.249 --> 00:09:45.875
He is bigger than any problem we have.
00:09:45.875 --> 00:09:55.292
But the second thing to remember is the one with all the power has an unending love and concern for you.
00:09:55.292 --> 00:09:58.302
God knows we're in a storm.
00:09:58.302 --> 00:10:00.684
He knows we suffer.
00:10:00.684 --> 00:10:09.524
Christians, at all times and in all suffering, find the strength and love of God.
00:10:09.524 --> 00:10:14.999
Finally, storms help us see what's really important.
00:10:17.091 --> 00:10:19.318
My wife still thinks we should have stayed in Tampa.
00:10:19.318 --> 00:10:20.934
She always will.
00:10:20.934 --> 00:10:22.211
I know.
00:10:22.211 --> 00:10:24.679
When there's another storm she will remind me about this one.
00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:35.759
But during this crisis I learned again that when it was important to me that we leave, katie had a bad pact and was out the door within the hour.
00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:40.902
When we disagreed, she supported me because she loves me.
00:10:40.902 --> 00:10:43.416
Yes, I think she's wrong.
00:10:43.416 --> 00:10:46.097
I think we were better off leaving.
00:10:46.097 --> 00:10:54.402
Sometimes she wins the fights and sometimes I do, but if she wins or I win, ultimately it's not that important.
00:10:54.402 --> 00:11:00.453
What is important is when a decision is made, we've got our bags packed.
00:11:00.453 --> 00:11:06.304
We may be pulling together a plan B, but we are together.
00:11:07.711 --> 00:11:14.860
As I watched the wind out the window five hours away through my phone, I was safe with my wife and children.
00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:18.826
The people I loved were safe and near.
00:11:18.826 --> 00:11:23.417
The house is nice, but it's replaceable.
00:11:23.417 --> 00:11:29.215
Relationships are always more important than things, and that's a pretty easy lesson to learn.
00:11:29.215 --> 00:11:34.232
But even those important relationships are only shadows of the relationship.
00:11:34.232 --> 00:11:36.739
That makes the others pale in comparison.
00:11:39.590 --> 00:11:43.600
James 1.17 says Every good and perfect gift is from above.
00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:54.076
The relationship we have with God isn't affected by Hurricane Milton, but it's a good reminder At a time when people have lost so much.
00:11:54.076 --> 00:11:56.842
God calls us to be grateful.
00:11:56.842 --> 00:11:59.041
He calls us to be grateful.
00:11:59.041 --> 00:12:00.129
He calls us to be helpful.
00:12:00.129 --> 00:12:07.364
He calls us to let go of things not worth holding on to because ultimately they aren't all that important.
00:12:07.364 --> 00:12:13.775
We have some work to do because of Hurricane Milton, but it could have been worse.
00:12:13.775 --> 00:12:18.110
But it could have been worse.
00:12:18.110 --> 00:12:23.181
It's important to remember that God has now given us an opportunity to act like Christians.
00:12:23.181 --> 00:12:44.291
God reminded us he is all-powerful and all-loving and he has helped us to see once more some things are simply not very important, even when they feel like it.
00:12:44.291 --> 00:12:47.738
So, yes, we weathered Hurricane Milton just fine Last week.
00:12:47.998 --> 00:12:56.144
Ironically, the day before we evacuated to be out of Milton's path, I spoke with Keith Stonehart about what sin is and why it's a big deal.
00:12:56.144 --> 00:13:00.736
I also still have an interview with Andrew Roberts about worshiping God with song.
00:13:00.736 --> 00:13:02.380
We'll get to that.
00:13:02.380 --> 00:13:08.119
But in the meantime, pray for people who have been affected by the tragedies that we've all watched.
00:13:08.119 --> 00:13:14.841
Help them, and if you can think of a way that I can help them, please get in touch with me.
00:13:14.841 --> 00:13:17.317
I'm happy to do what I can help them.
00:13:17.317 --> 00:13:18.683
Please get in touch with me.
00:13:18.683 --> 00:13:19.427
I'm happy to do what I can.
00:13:19.427 --> 00:13:20.951
We are all stronger because of this.
00:13:20.951 --> 00:13:27.025
It's not fun, but it is important and it is strengthening.
00:13:27.025 --> 00:13:31.499
So until next time, let's be good and do good.
00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.472
00:00:04.472 --> 00:00:09.646
00:00:09.646 --> 00:00:10.609
00:00:10.609 --> 00:00:14.891
00:00:14.891 --> 00:00:24.172
00:00:25.062 --> 00:00:27.182
00:00:27.182 --> 00:00:32.381
00:00:32.381 --> 00:00:35.432
00:00:35.432 --> 00:00:39.826
00:00:39.826 --> 00:00:44.960
00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:58.231
00:00:59.152 --> 00:01:03.756
00:01:03.756 --> 00:01:14.283
00:01:14.283 --> 00:01:21.980
00:01:21.980 --> 00:01:26.680
00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:36.162
00:01:36.162 --> 00:01:43.506
00:01:43.506 --> 00:01:48.225
00:01:48.225 --> 00:01:58.430
00:01:58.430 --> 00:02:00.694
00:02:01.861 --> 00:02:04.989
00:02:04.989 --> 00:02:12.543
00:02:12.543 --> 00:02:17.013
00:02:17.013 --> 00:02:20.729
00:02:20.729 --> 00:02:29.691
00:02:29.691 --> 00:02:33.907
00:02:33.907 --> 00:02:38.563
00:02:38.563 --> 00:02:46.675
00:02:46.675 --> 00:02:52.132
00:02:52.132 --> 00:02:55.449
00:02:55.449 --> 00:03:01.132
00:03:02.700 --> 00:03:10.884
00:03:10.884 --> 00:03:12.888
00:03:12.888 --> 00:03:13.590
00:03:13.590 --> 00:03:21.592
00:03:21.592 --> 00:03:30.307
00:03:30.307 --> 00:03:33.381
00:03:33.381 --> 00:03:36.868
00:03:36.868 --> 00:03:41.403
00:03:41.403 --> 00:03:46.412
00:03:47.794 --> 00:03:56.334
00:03:56.334 --> 00:04:00.784
00:04:00.784 --> 00:04:06.012
00:04:06.012 --> 00:04:11.484
00:04:11.484 --> 00:04:17.802
00:04:17.802 --> 00:04:20.627
00:04:20.627 --> 00:04:28.867
00:04:29.848 --> 00:04:36.307
00:04:36.307 --> 00:04:42.024
00:04:42.024 --> 00:04:45.209
00:04:45.209 --> 00:04:52.749
00:04:52.749 --> 00:04:56.783
00:04:56.783 --> 00:05:02.362
00:05:02.362 --> 00:05:07.473
00:05:07.473 --> 00:05:16.262
00:05:16.262 --> 00:05:18.187
00:05:18.187 --> 00:05:31.875
00:05:31.875 --> 00:05:36.278
00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:46.048
00:05:46.048 --> 00:05:51.350
00:05:51.350 --> 00:05:56.250
00:05:56.250 --> 00:06:01.050
00:06:01.050 --> 00:06:16.569
00:06:18.052 --> 00:06:32.612
00:06:32.612 --> 00:06:38.583
00:06:38.583 --> 00:06:42.048
00:06:42.048 --> 00:06:47.735
00:06:47.735 --> 00:06:54.673
00:06:54.673 --> 00:07:07.776
00:07:07.776 --> 00:07:12.588
00:07:12.588 --> 00:07:27.547
00:07:28.988 --> 00:07:38.692
00:07:38.692 --> 00:07:49.665
00:07:49.665 --> 00:07:54.281
00:07:54.281 --> 00:08:03.752
00:08:03.752 --> 00:08:07.115
00:08:07.115 --> 00:08:14.490
00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:20.769
00:08:22.053 --> 00:08:29.512
00:08:29.512 --> 00:08:32.889
00:08:32.889 --> 00:08:39.594
00:08:39.594 --> 00:08:43.470
00:08:43.470 --> 00:08:53.354
00:08:53.354 --> 00:09:03.052
00:09:03.052 --> 00:09:13.192
00:09:13.192 --> 00:09:17.730
00:09:17.730 --> 00:09:29.000
00:09:30.123 --> 00:09:38.654
00:09:38.654 --> 00:09:41.644
00:09:41.644 --> 00:09:43.249
00:09:43.249 --> 00:09:45.875
00:09:45.875 --> 00:09:55.292
00:09:55.292 --> 00:09:58.302
00:09:58.302 --> 00:10:00.684
00:10:00.684 --> 00:10:09.524
00:10:09.524 --> 00:10:14.999
00:10:17.091 --> 00:10:19.318
00:10:19.318 --> 00:10:20.934
00:10:20.934 --> 00:10:22.211
00:10:22.211 --> 00:10:24.679
00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:35.759
00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:40.902
00:10:40.902 --> 00:10:43.416
00:10:43.416 --> 00:10:46.097
00:10:46.097 --> 00:10:54.402
00:10:54.402 --> 00:11:00.453
00:11:00.453 --> 00:11:06.304
00:11:07.711 --> 00:11:14.860
00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:18.826
00:11:18.826 --> 00:11:23.417
00:11:23.417 --> 00:11:29.215
00:11:29.215 --> 00:11:34.232
00:11:34.232 --> 00:11:36.739
00:11:39.590 --> 00:11:43.600
00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:54.076
00:11:54.076 --> 00:11:56.842
00:11:56.842 --> 00:11:59.041
00:11:59.041 --> 00:12:00.129
00:12:00.129 --> 00:12:07.364
00:12:07.364 --> 00:12:13.775
00:12:13.775 --> 00:12:18.110
00:12:18.110 --> 00:12:23.181
00:12:23.181 --> 00:12:44.291
00:12:44.291 --> 00:12:47.738
00:12:47.998 --> 00:12:56.144
00:12:56.144 --> 00:13:00.736
00:13:00.736 --> 00:13:02.380
00:13:02.380 --> 00:13:08.119
00:13:08.119 --> 00:13:14.841
00:13:14.841 --> 00:13:17.317
00:13:17.317 --> 00:13:18.683
00:13:18.683 --> 00:13:19.427
00:13:19.427 --> 00:13:20.951
00:13:20.951 --> 00:13:27.025
00:13:27.025 --> 00:13:31.499
Listen On
Support On
