On The Safe Side?!

Are you shaken up yet (see that last blog entry I wrote 😉 )? Perhaps the recent devastation from hurricane Irene was enough or all that flooding since? For that matter, there is a lot more flooding with the remnants of Lee, yet another tropical system, working up the East Coast as I write (and even more tornadoes being reported). Thinking back to the response of what many decided to do as Irene was approaching, I couldn’t help but think of being On The Safe Side…

Did you know that at least 40 people are said to have lost their lives from hurricane Irene? While the storm turned out to not be as windy as feared, it certainly did do billions of dollars worth of damage from North Carolina all the way up through the Northeast. More property and even more souls would have been lost though, if many were not living on the safe side by boarding up houses and buildings, preparing as they could for flooding and even evacuating areas directly impacted. New York City shut down its constantly running Subway system and even Atlantic City patrons weren’t gambling on what that hurricane could do! Some people in this hurricane’s way still defied the authorities and evacuation orders, but more did seem to listen this time and decided to heed the warnings and be on the safe side!

It was only about a month ago when Virginia Tech authorities wanted to be on the safe side and issued an alert of a potential gunman on the VT Campus again. Of course news of this quickly spread around the globe and people began to relive all the emotions and fears from that horrific 04-16-07 Tragedy! The campus was even locked down for around 5.5 hours and details, including a sketch of the alleged gunman, were released for the public awareness so that everyone could be on the safe side! Perhaps there was an overreaction, but officials wanted to be safe, rather than being sorry for not acting quickly.

Now, I’m not a fan of overreaction, but a victim. My personal tragedy and the separation between me and my family happened when religious and secular officials under media pressure and scrutiny wanted to be on the safe side and have me taken into custody for an evaluation. The lack of investigation and proper evaluation started that snowball or domino effect that has turned my world upside down (at least this did help drive me to write my book and all these articles that I am writing)! Being on the safe side does not mean that we stop paying attention to all that is happening in the area where things are deemed unsafe; it actually should mean that we pay even closer attention so that we can remain safe from harm. If we really are living on the safe side, would we not be free from fears? Actually, that is the only way that I have kept from turning inward or acting out against others from all of the injustices I have faced—I KNOW I AM LIVING ON THE SAFE SIDE, so there is nothing else I really have to fear! 😉

Friend, do you see the Spiritual Truth that I am talking about? Maybe you should review my 05-13-08 blog article, “An American Idol…SAFETY,” or perhaps one written earlier this year: “The RIGHT to Safety?” Maybe you would understand if you thought more about the number one lesson I talk about that needs to be learned from the VT Tragedy and what will really help you more than anything else in life?! Maybe you will come to live on the safe side?!

What is it that will help us when everything around us is in turmoil? Who is it that we can depend on when all else forsake and fail us? Fearing the CREATOR GOD will keep you safe. In fact, there is no side but this where you really can be safe! Can we depend on any person or human government to keep us safe? Do humans control nature? Can we make the wind blow and control how it does or make the rain start when we need it or stop when we have enough? Do we have the power to keep the heavens from shaking or the earth from quaking? I trust you will learn from this and understand more and more! Technology may help you be safe and communicate with others, but it cannot save you. People will often let you down because we all are fallen and living in a fallen Creation will certainly impact you. Where must we all turn for safety in the calm and in the storm? Jesus Christ is the ONLY SAFE SIDE!