While Hurricane Katrina was only a category one hurricane making her way across the southern tip of Florida, in another part of the world, a wife was burying her husband, a little girl had to decide which parent she wanted to live with, and a small business owner decides to close the door for good.

As Katrina churned and gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico, in other places a doctor confirms that the cancer is malignant, couples filed for divorces, rebellious children slam doors and drive away, and thousands of people on the Gulf Coast packed as much as they could and fled for safety.

When Katrina stormed the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, millions of people watched, waited, and wondered what would be left of their homes and belongings. Our nation and much of the world sat speechless and prayed.

As Katrina moved inland, spawning tornadoes and floods across the country, the images began to appear showing the rest of the world the death and destruction the storm was leaving behind.

As rescue and recovery efforts took shape on the Gulf Coast, in another part of the world, hundreds of people were trampled when the rumor of a car bomb incited panic in the crowd resulting in a stampede.

When efforts to reach the suffering did not arrive as quickly as expected or in the form expected, tempers erupted, criticism spread, and blame was rampant. The relocation of the displaced thousands began.

Now we are dealing with the aftermath of Katrina. Losses are being calculated, lives are being rebuilt, and government leaders are defending themselves against accusations of racism, prejudice, and apathy. Gas prices continue to rise, talk of running out of fuel is common, and scenes of rationing fill our minds. Cities of refuge are being established throughout the country as the thousands upon thousands search for a place to live, a way to provide for their families, and a hope that life will be better.

So, how do we survive these storms? Where can we go for shelter? How do we maintain our hope? To answer that question I remind you of the words to a song of faith:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.When darkness veils His loving face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.On Christ the solid rock I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
(Edward Mote, 1834)

So, how do we survive these storms?

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 61:1-2 NIV)

Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. ... Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted. ... So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Hebrews 2:14-18;  Hebrews 4:16 NLT)