Living Water by Larry Garrett

"When it rains, it pours" has taken on the literal meaning these past two weeks. Oahu and other parts of our state experienced flash flood warnings and unfortunately, our small little town of Haleiwa got hit hard. In some areas of the town, there are tons of debris left behind. Those areas affected by the flooding look like third-world disaster areas. The amount of mud left behind has left clear lines defining the height of impact. There are people who have lost everything and are trying to recover. Currently, there is no help from the federal or state government as is has not been declared a national or statewide disaster.

At the same time, we have seen the people in our community pull together and support one another through this time. It reminds me of these verses found in 2 Cor 4:8-10, "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

It is just like a surf community to pull together and make the best out of a tough situation. When you add faith to these types of situations we become so much stronger. We have seen surfers, surf churches and amazing humanitarian organizations step in and do what is best for all. One thing is true of the people who are currently experiencing this loss, they might be beaten down but they are not destroyed. I believe this is because there is always hope for the hopeless and his name is Jesus Christ. If you are going through a rough time in life and need hope remember to turn to Jesus the author of Hope. Make sure you share your need and watch those who are Christ's ambassadors show His love. I leave you with this final thought and a reflection on the last verse of this passage– "Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."