Storm Watch

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Then He arose and rebuked the wind, 

and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” 

And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 

-Mark 4:39-40




For you have been my refuge, 
a strong tower against the foe.
-Psalm 61:3

Today I return to my home city of Bacolod after being here in Metro Manila for the past 18 days.

It's been time well-spent for me: three days of ministry in Tagaytay City, quality bonding time with my daughter, and touching base with a few dear friends. I was also able to do some serious yard work in my father's garden.

Above all, there was plenty of much-needed "alone-time", taking stock of my life, evaluating my priorities, communing with Abba Father, reading, and writing—things I can't do on the move. One needs a long pause for this, an extended time of just being quiet, unhindered by other matters.

And there was much time for intercession.

Among the many verses in Scripture that have a deep impact on me are the words of Jesus about being careful not to flaunt our acts of righteousness, specifically what He says in Matthew 6:6—

But you, when you pray, go into your room, 

and when you have shut your door, 

pray to your Father who is in the secret place; 

and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

And that is why I am not in the habit of telling others about my prayer life. It is something that Jesus says we are to do in secret, together with fasting and giving to others in need. Otherwise, it could become a subtle form of self-promotion, even though we may not be aware of it.

However, since this post is about prayer, I want to share what a blessing my prayer language has been to me. These past months, there have been many important concerns to pray for, and words were no longer sufficient. Praying often in my prayer language allows the Holy Spirit to pray through me. It is no longer me praying my prayers, but me praying the prayers of God's heart. This gives me a deep sense of satisfaction, of being connected to the heart of Jesus our great High Priest, and the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness—for we do not know how to pray as we ought. The Bible says that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, and that the Holy Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

There were two storms that made front page news last week: tropical cyclone Mankhut that hit the northern part of our country this weekend, and Hurricane Florence that struck the Carolinas at about the same time. The few days before the storms were expected to make landfall, I found myself praying day and night for these weather disturbances to lose strength or to change course to prevent bringing massive destruction.

Just after midnight of Saturday, Mankhut hit northern Philippines with 205 kilometers per hour sustained winds and over 300 kilometers per hour wind gusts. While Metro Manila was spared, many parts of our country were not. Once again, the deadly typhoon brought widespread destruction and untold loss to infrastructure and crops.

On a more personal note, I want to share how Hurricane Florence impacted a dear friend Elaine who lives in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Florence slammed into Wilmington, North Carolina on Friday morning as a Category 2 slow-moving hurricane. After making landfall, it moved inland bringing destruction along its path. That afternoon, Elaine's husband Billy and their teenage son Jadon were on their way home from church, saw a tree branch felled by the hurricane, and got out of their car to clear the neighborhood road of the debris. While doing so, two other branches fell on them, injuring both father and son, but Jadon suffered a cracked skull and brain bleed. He was rushed to the local hospital in critical condition. An emergency response team from Charlotte traveled three hours braving hurricane force winds to get him. Arriving back at Charlotte near midnight, a surgery was performed to relieve his brain of pressure. (Billy earlier had been treated for head wounds, but he had to be with his wife and son despite the 12 staples that were on his head.)


They could have ignored the debris, looked away, and just driven on. But they did what comes naturally to them, to lend a helping hand. Now one day after, Jadon is in critical condition, fighting for his life.

I cannot imagine the pain. What started as a storm watch, praying for protection and safety, ended in a traumatic life and death situation for them.

And all we her friends can do is pray, pray, and pray some more. Believing, hoping, pleading, and interceding.

In the days to come I know many questions will be asked. Could this accident have been avoided? Just two more minutes, and Jadon could have been spared this accident. Why did he have to be at that very spot at the precise moment that tree fell?

I am reminded of Hannah Smith's famous lines from a book I read when I was a young Christian.

Things in which we can see God's hand always have a sweetness in them which consoles while it wounds...

What is needed, then, is to see God in everything, and to receive everything directly from His hands, with no intervention of second causes. And it is just to this that we must be brought, before we can know an abiding experience of entire abandonment and perfect trust. Our abandonment must be to God, not to man, and our trust must be in Him, not in any arm of flesh, or we shall fail at the first trial.

And so trust God I must.

Last night I went to sleep praying, woke up middle of the night praying, dreamt of Elaine, prayed for her in my dream, and woke up, still praying.

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When the month of September began, the picture of a lighthouse glowing in the dusk kept popping up in my head. And when that happens, I know there is a message that Abba Father is trying to get across. 

To a seafarer on a stormy sea, a lighthouse can spell the difference between life and death.

Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, and safe entries to harbors. (source)


Jesus is definitely our Lighthouse, but so are we little lighthouses showing the way through the turbulent waters of this world.

In the many conversations my daughter and I have had over the past several days, I would remind her that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, we can be little lighthouses, reflectors of God's light and hope in the darkness around us. But in order to be one, a strong faith is the secret.

And I would keep telling her, "Two things are essential to help keep our faith strong: joy, and gratitude."

When it comes to discipling the next generation, I don't mind sounding like a broken record.

The joy of the Lord is your strength, I had told her countless times. If you have joy, then you are strong. Nothing can discourage you.

In everything give thanks, I would also remind her. A thankful heart is a heart that trusts God. It is the language of trust.

And now, I find myself speaking these words to myself. I am holding on to faith, choosing joy, and choosing to be thankful - for my beloved nation the Philippines, and for my dear friend Elaine.

This is Elaine's latest update (Saturday evening, September 15, 2018 EST) about her son, and I quote:

It's hard to know what to write as an update. My heart is so full. My heart is so empty. What I want to do is wrap my boy up and take him home like I did in November 2000. What I am doing instead is warming his way too cold toes with my warm breath. There have been highs and lows today. Jadon's bp has stabilized and his temp is manageable. Coming off sedation went smoothly. We didn't get as much movement as the doctor wanted, but there was some minimal. He opened his eyes fully when the doctor kneaded his shoulder with some applied pressure and yelled loudly. It was enough to buoy our spirits momentarily. However the doubt in me quickly swelled to overflow when he went back to a deep sleep. He is off sedation now, on a thousand other drugs, and doesn't seem to be in distress. He had a CT scan as well as scans of neck and lower back to make sure there was no damage to his spine. We don't know the results yet. We were buoyed by visits from a few who made the drive despite the rain. He's been prayed over and over and over again. I won't ever turn it down. I have all my kids in one place. I am so glad they are here. What grace! There is nothing easy about this, but there is a whole lot of good. Right now, I am looking at the best good I know. Jadon Charles Olsen, he whose name means "God has heard." Fight hard, mighty warrior. Fight forward. The best is yet to be. Jadon, remember how very, very much you are loved. Will you pray with us?

My heart breaks for my dear friend. We have not met face to face, but I love her nonetheless. I am praying for her, with sighs and groans too deep for words.

And I know how it feels. When you are in deep waters, you need others to be strong for you.

I am being strong for you, my dearest Elaine.

And I am with you in this, waiting for the storm to subside.

Sometimes it takes a storm to find a hiding place...

Jesus, You are our Lighthouse... Lord, You are our Hiding Place.