Fey Fay

The name Fay means elf or fairy. It’s a lovely name. I have a new friend named Faye. It is a delicate, female name. Even the pronunciation of the name takes a small bit of breath.

When news came of a tropical storm named Fay was on her way, I did not take much notice. We had been through tropical storms before, and they seemed to be a regular Florida rain storm. We bought our hurricane supplies like the drill that it was and waited for the rains to come. Little did we know what was in store for us.

Tropical Storm Fay arrived like one of those unwanted stealth water balloons. Only she had a more lasting blow—rain gauges could not keep up with the 30 inches of rain that pounded our homes.

Fay was no lady…she was more like a two-ton fairy who left a wake of water in her path that flooded the most unsuspecting neighborhoods. And she overstayed her visit. She seemed to relish hanging out in Brevard County, pulling on the ocean breezes to supply her endless deluges. Her synchronized water dance would win no medals—but several trees fell prostrate, and power lines dipped low to the ground. When she finally tottered north, her skirts gave our county a few more slaps and thousands went without power.

You could say Fay made a name for herself in Florida. You could say we were thoroughly baptized; sprinkled AND dunked.

She underestimated the spunk of the people in Brevard County. Neighbors crossed property lines to check on each other. Strangers drove their big trucks in streets that were now rivers to rescue elderly trapped in their homes. Even a teenager became a siren for her mobile home park—calling, emailing and asking for help as the waters rose around her elderly neighbors.

People change in the face of calamity. Some of them crumble, yes. But others rise to the challenge and step in to the flood with little fear for themselves. They seem to know exactly what needs to be done at that moment.

I want to ask you…what kind of storm is on the horizon for you? Is it just another one of those drills in life? Do you have a doctor’s appointment, a subpoena, a hunch about your teen, a phone ringing? Does it not seem like a big deal for now?

It is a good idea to make sure you have your supplies stored up. If you don’t have a church family, it is never too late to begin looking around. When a crisis appears, yes they are human and some may not step up. But then there are others who will, and they do it because the love of Christ compels them to.

Do you have a Bible? It is the Bread of Life and Living Water. The Word of God has been my sustenance in times of great tragedy. T.V. is chewing gum for the brain, there is no nourishment. You may get a sound byte of wisdom between hours of hypnotic broadcasts…but His word “will not return void”. (Isaiah 55:11)

Next time you see a storm brewing on Doppler radar, expect it to be a water logged, two-ton fairy. Be prepared spiritually and learn to rely on God. He knows a lot about floods.

"As for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20