In this series I’ve made the attempt to paint a picture of the wide-spread destruction in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (where I live) caused by the high velocity straight-line winds of the derecho storm that blasted across the Midwest during its 700 mile long journey on August 10, 2020.

That’s three weeks ago…not much was reported in the media about it then, and there is still little or no coverage now on the devastation it caused and the lengthy time and expense it will take for clean-up, restoration and repairs! It was fortunate and a real blessing that there was minimal loss of human life…but the lives and livelihood of many farmers and town/city dwellers have been greatly impacted.

Over 1,000 Cedar Rapids homes have been declared uninhabitable, and many homes sustained severe and costly damage. The city estimates 23,000 publicly-owned trees are lost or damaged to the point they must be removed. The storm with 100-mph straight-line winds followed by 140-mph gusts destroyed 65% of the city’s tree canopy.

Where is God in all of this? Pastor and teacher,Dr. Erwin Lutzer, has written: “Natural disasters are a megaphone from God and they teach us various lessons. First of all, natural disasters show us the uncertainty of life. Thousands of people wake up in the morning not knowing what is going to happen that day”…such was the terrible derecho storm experienced in Cedar Rapids. As Christians we face the great challenge of somehow continuing to believe God and to still trust Him in the midst of such devastation.

It took just a few minutes, but how suddenly God got our attention that morning of August 10! In seconds, we went from order to chaos. Yet, some good things have come out of the derecho experience as well.

In Genesis, Chapter 1, the very first thing God made on day one was light. That He put it first in His creation must mean that light was very important to God. We experienced true darkness that first night after the storm…no one had any electric power…everywhere was pitch black. We were blasted back into the age before electricity…no lights…no wi-fi/internet…no phone connection…no computer…thank goodness for flashlights, generators, hand tools, and canned goods, etc…as long as what powered them was available!

A very obvious good thing that happened was neighbors really being neighbors. Sharing a generator, sharing food and beverages, help with debris clearing, checking on one another, etc., etc. In some cases people interacted with neighbors down or across the street they had never met. One person down our street barbecued and shared his freezer-full of meat with anyone who came by. The best came out in many as good Samaritans.

Family members became closer because of the loss of the internet and telephone communication. They had to “talk” to and help one another. Sharing was natural and appreciated. Friends offered aid and money and one of our friends even offered to drive more than a thousand miles from us to help out. We pooled resources and supplies with members of our extended family here, and they even moved in with us so we could help one another.

Many people forgot about being paid time and a half for over forty hours of work, and instead became volunteers working 12 to 18 hours a day. One private citizen organized a distribution center for food and supplies, and it became and still is a main source of help to those in need.

After the destruction of the derecho, jobs were lost or delayed, but others were created to meet the need to deal with all that was destroyed or damaged. Carpenters, electricians, roofers, contractors, insurance adjusters and many others with construction, removal and repair skills were overwhelmed (and still are) with work. Technicians and repair people were brought in from other states to restore and rebuild the downed power lines and poles and for removal of the huge and many damaged trees. This work is expected to continue until at least December.

Cell phone and internet providers were swamped with repair work; their diligence has resulted in power now restored to all but a few hundred customers— and that is expected to happen in the next few days. The city has organized a drive to have new trees planted. Nurseries and landscapers are going to be overwhelmed come next spring. Banks will hopefully meet the need to make home improvement loans. Insurance filings will not cover all that is needed, especially in the area of tree removal.

Government is ordained by God and it is needed to provide the means to help restore communication and to coordinate the massive cleanup effort. Romans 13:1 says: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Just about everyone is pitching in to do something to help someone else.

Several churches were completely destroyed, and there is determination to rebuild. Each of the 30 schools in Cedar Rapids were badly damaged; it will be months before they will be habitable for teachers and students. September 21 has been set for the return to schooling, which will have to be on-line until the schools are re-opened. Efforts are being made to make sure all students have internet capability, which is a big under-taking in itself…especially since one of the major internet providers here is not able to be operational for some time and may have to move their customers to another provider.

The summer shade has been removed. Habitats for birds and animals have been destroyed. Farm animals were killed. Ten million acres of ready-to-harvest corn were destroyed. We will no longer have the multi-colored leaves and the beautiful fall foliage. Many of the trees still standing lost most of their leaves, and their survival in the future has been compromised. The eco-system has to be affected.

Our response should be to acknowledge the Lord and to love Him with all our hearts, and for sure our neighbors as ourselves. He has caught our attention and opened our eyes to how much we need to depend on and need to believe in Him. Praises to God for the beauty of His creation…not nearly enough appreciated until it was suddenly taken from us. Perhaps another response is to take resolve to share the Gospel story with as many others as we can…and, while we can.

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They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:19-20 NLT

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the One who does these things. Isaiah 45: 5-7 NLT

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