For most adults who lived on the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama gulf coasts, August 29, 2005, will always be remembered.

Hurricane Katrina roared ashore and rearranged our coast line and changed our perception about life.

Most of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina date life by that event. Everything was either “before the storm” or “after the storm”.

Hurricane Katrina taught me three invaluable lessons.

First, bad things do happen. It’s best to be prepared and ready. All of us who live in the area of Greater New Orleans have read and heard about “the big one” that might hit us some day. I’m not sure we ever thought that might happen. While Katrina really wasn’t “the big one” we learned that bad things can happen. It helped us all get ready in case the real “big one” does happen.

After we assessed our general area, we kept hearing reports that the levees in New Orleans had been breached and the city was filling up. Later we learned more than 1300 people died in this terrible disaster.

Second, good people do show up. We all remember the eerie silence on the day after Katrina. No traffic, no air conditioners or engines running makes for a quiet area. Not much happened the day after, but by day three “the Baptist Cavalry” (my phrase) came to my church. Godly, compassionate people from several states came to our church to live for six weeks and help us get back up and running. These folks in yellow shirts made quite an impression on our area.

Of course, it wasn’t only baptists who came. I thank God for His Body functioning in a hurting region.

Third, we learned to be more thankful and more watchful. Since that time eight years ago, we have not had other major storms. We thank God for His mercy. In fact, I often pray during hurricane season for His mercy.

Some lessons can really only be learned through the struggles of life. I hope we will not take life for granted or act as if we do not need God. In all things, let us give thanks and acknowledge God as the Lord of all.