In 2004, I lived in a 1 room apartment about 200 to 300 yards from the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn't a luxurious place, more of a converted garage to an apartment. As history has it, that year for Florida was one of the most active in recent times for hurricanes. I rode out Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne that summer and fall. That year was the first time in the history of tracking hurricanes that Florida was affected by 4 hurricanes in one season. Experiencing them was not fun although to see the power of such, being so close to the beach, was awe inspiring. I had never see the ocean so wild and fearsome. I thanked God for getting me through those storms unscathed and with so little problems. The very worst for me had been going without power for 11 days. I never did loose water. After the season was over, it was a relief.
The 2005 hurricane season for Florida was substantially lighter although Florida was hit by 3 hurricanes, 1 in the Florida Pan Handle and 2 in South Florida. None came through Central Florida where I lived in Satellite Beach (the Space Coast). In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina formed in the Bahamas. I think the entire world knows about Hurricane Katrina. That hurricane slammed New Orleans so hard, that they were almost totally destroyed. I remember watching the news about the aftermath of the hurricane and watching a local news anchors report on the devastation. He was standing on I-10 and there were all kinds of people on the interstate because it was the high ground from the flooded area. He made a comment that enraged me, and caused me to believe that our President must be insensitive to human life. The news anchor stated that the people on I-10 had received no emergency help and had gone without fresh water for 2 days. 2 days! This wasn't even considering food. I was angry. To top it off, people were saying that it must have been what they deserved because they must be a very sinful city. They weren't considering what we as Floridians went through the previous year. The 2005 Hurricane Season concluded with 31 tropical depressions of which 28 became tropical storms and of those 7 became major Category 3 hurricanes. It was Biblical. Was God's wrath venting upon our nation? I don't know. I do know that he says in the Old Testament that He will bring calamity upon men in order for them to turn to God for help. You see, this is what He wants from us. That we should turn to Him for help.
In the Spring of 2006 I experienced an epiphany while reading the verse Revelation 3:14 in the New International Version Study Bible. In that version of the Bible, it is written that Jesus simply says that He is the "ruler of God's creation". With the approaching 2006 Hurricane Season, I proposed on the Bell South Christian Message Board that acknowledging to Christ Jesus, that if we accept Him as being "Ruler of God's Creation" it should yield a less volatile hurricane season. All that was needed was for there to be two or more of us that agreed on this. Matthew 18:19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on Earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven." I believed that praying down the hurricanes was possible with this acknowledgment.
I am one that believes in preventative prayer as well as prayer for sustained Faith after disaster. Preventative prayer works and it is a way to prove to nonbelievers that Faith in Christ Jesus is strong. What was it that Jesus said to the Disciples when they, in a panic, woke Him up in a boat on a lake while a storm had come up causing them to believe they were going to sink. What did He say? Matthew 8:26, "You of little Faith, why are you so afraid?" Jesus then got up and rebuked the wind and waves and it was completely calm. Just what the "Ruler of God's Creation" could do.
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