Just before typhoon Odette hit Central Philippines a few days before Christmas, the residents of small islands and coastal areas in the path of the storm were evacuated to safety. A handful of fishermen, however, went back to their homes on Tahong-tahong Island to secure their belongings. The storm struck while they were still in the village. It was a Category 5 typhoon, only the third of such strength to hit the country since 1954. The men lashed themselves to a post stuck in the ground. The wind destroyed and blew away their homes, fishing boats, animals, crops and all of their belongings. The fishermen’s lives were saved, not because they are strong, but because the post they tied themselves to was strong.
Looking back at the year 2021, we can’t help but be thankful that our Lord is Almighty God Himself. We lost some good friends and loved ones last year to various illnesses, plodded along with uncertainty as Covid-19 continued to ravage the globe, and struggled to keep the classes going, even as we wrestled with poor and expensive internet connection. But we made it through. We even exceeded some of our goals for 2021!
Praise God that we don’t have to rely on our own strength and wisdom as we face the challenges of tomorrow. We have the Lord, our strong tower and loving Savior. And after the storm, the sun shines as bright as before, giving us hope to rise again and rebuild and continue serving God who gives us strength. Praise the Lord!
