As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” Genesis 19:17
In previous years we’ve enjoyed beach vacations in October. It wasn’t too hot, the crowds were gone, it was more affordable, and the bugs weren’t as bad as usual. As I’m following Hurricane Matthew and all the evacuations that are taking place, I think back to the signs on the highway leading away from the coast and how important that road becomes when there’s only one way out of danger. I was reading how in South Carolina they reversed the lanes so that traffic on the interstate, which would normally be heading into Charleston, is now heading west out of Charleston.
The traffic might be slow and the ride long and difficult, but it’s better to keep moving forward slowly than decide to go back where we shouldn’t be. By staying, we are not only putting ourselves at risk, but we are putting others at risk when they have to come in to save us. Once we get on our way, we should take comfort in knowing that we are leaving somewhere that we may have stayed too long as it is. Any more time and we could be trapped in a place without a choice of leaving. No matter how dangerous something is, we would sometimes rather face it in our comfort zone instead of fleeing to safety.
I’m sure you realize I’m talking about more than evacuating from a hurricane. There are times in our lives when we need to evacuate from bad situations. Just like that interstate heading out of Charleston…there is only one way to go. That’s forward. Get in the car and start driving, then God can keep you going just like the flow of that traffic. Rely on Him to not allow you to turn back into danger.
May God lead the evacuation to safety for all who are facing life’s dangers.
