Jonas

Today the super storm, Jonas, is predicted to take out DC,
Philadelphia and New York. Not a single flake has yet
fallen, but schools are closed, government offices are shut
down, the National Guard has been called out. We grew
up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and weathered some
very heavy snow storms. We also lived in the DC area over
a 20 year period. I remember an ice storm dropping six
inches of ice and I had to crawl out to get the paper for a
week; Glen skiing down 'busy' Connecticut Ave. after a 20"
storm; snow piled high in our town house neighborhood in
VA after two storms of 28" and 10" within a weeks time.
Storms were part of life twenty, forty years ago. People
managed. They helped each other, built snow forts, went
sledding with the kids, put snow tires on in December.
Yes, people were inconvenienced, but snow events were
expected in winter and few people died.

The storm today is called Jonas, but it makes me think of
Jonah, the prophet who was told to go to a city called
Nineveh and preach repentance to its people. Jonah caught
a ship instead and ended up in the belly of a great fish. The
experience caught his attention and he obeyed God, which
resulted in the whole city from the king down repenting of
their rebellion against God. The city thrived for a thousand
years. There is much more to the story and it would be a
good read for those of you listening to the howling wind
tonight.

So, reader, perhaps there is something different about the
storm Jonas. Perhaps God is asking this nation to repent, to
seek His face that He may turn away from judgement and
refresh us with revival.