Hurricane Sandy

Someone submitted the following question anonymously. Please could you write about the hurricane what message can we take from it... it was only one day and then everything back to normal!?!

There are many lessons and messages that we can take from the hurricane and all that happened in the last few days-the excitement and preparation leading up to it, the time spent indoors to ensure full protection from the storm, and the aftermath…living without electricity and waiting for the power to be restored.

I got the following text message this morning: Hashem is powerful and we are powerless.

When we are hit by a “natural” disaster, it gives us a chance to stop and think. To realize WHO really is in control of every aspect of our lives.

Yes, we are the ones who go through the motions of our day-to-day lives, accomplishing and getting things done. But when we are blessed with that clarity the moment we lose power, we realize Who is the one who has the power and who is really powerless.

I am reminded of a poem/song I once posted, If Hashem Were To Go On Strike. It's taken from a tape, The Iron Butterfly, by Suki and Ding. I will post it here again because the message is so on target.

It’s just a good thing that Hashem above has never gone on strike,
Because He wasn’t treated for or for the things he didn’t like.
And if He had just once sat down and said, “That’s it, I’m through,
I’ve had enough of those on earth so this is what I’ll do:

I’ll give my orders to the sun, cut off your heat supply,
And to the clouds, give no more rain and run those oceans dry.”
And just to make it tough and to put the pressure on,
He’d cut off all the oxygen ‘til every breath is gone.

Do you know that Hashem would be justified if fairness were the game,
For no one has been more abused or treated with disdain.
And yet Hashem has carried on supplying you and me,
With all the favors in His world and everything for free.

No more would flowers bud in spring and food just wouldn’t grow,
And summer turn to winter, Hashem can do it all, you know.
He could make the daytime pitch black so we’d see our way no more,
There’s just so much Hashem can do to even up the score!

Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go,
But what a deal we’ve given Hashem to whom everything we owe?
We don’t care who we hurt or harm to gain the things we like,
But what a mess we’d all be in if Hashem were to go on strike!!

So here we have it-Hashem "pushed a button" and the whole world went crazy. People ran around stocking up on water, canned goods, bread, candles, flashlights...you name it. How could we live for a few days without power?

People are left without access to the internet. Ask yourself this question. Who is part of your social circle? Does it extend past your Facebook friends and those you talk to through email and text? How much face to face contact do you have with the people who are important to you-beyond your immediate family?

In preparation for the hurricane, someone on the radio mentioned that this will give families a chance to reconnect with each other. When the power goes out and the batteries on all the electronic devices start to die, siblings and parents can actually talk to each other. There's no distraction of laptops and computers, iPhones and Tablets and any other electronic devices. Devices that instead of connecting us, disconnect us from those who are important and close to us.

Trees got thrown down just a few inches away from houses and cars. I saw with my own eyes the precision of the fall...how every inch is calculated. Another inch-and that car would have been smashed. Another inch-and that house would have had major damage. This showed me how every little detail is calculated, every inch, every moment of our lives. The same One who made the tree fall directly in front of that house and an inch away from that car, is watching over me every moment. The details of my life are calculated; Hashem works with precision and care.

Many people are still in the dark. They are illuminating their homes with candles instead of electric lights. The effects of the hurricane are far from over. It will still take another few days for power to be restored. The impact and the message of Hurricane Sandy may stay with them for a little longer than it stays with you. The choice is yours.

How long do you want to remember this hurricane for? How long will these messages stay with you?