the “Hope Farm” (Lewis homestead) right before Evacuation
This past week was one of the scariest my family has ever faced. The mandatory evacuation was announced, so we proceeded to clear our yard, board the windows & doors, & pack all of the important belongings we could fit into our vehicle, prepared to never return. The latest updates were calling for a direct hit – quite literally my house would take the brunt of the storm, washed away by a 9 to 12 foot storm surge, & hours of 140+ mph winds. With my children loaded into our overpacked van, my wife & I stood on the porch & thanked God for our little house which has served us so well.
When we arrived at our extended family’s cabin in Lyons, GA – two hours inland – we had little access to internet, & got flashes of updates via our phones. In the face of those updates, God prodded my heart to worship.
I decided to praise God in the face of this looming tragedy. A song I co-wrote years ago with David Dalton was strong on my heart, so I decided to war with my own words, singing “Your Mighty Hand” on the verge of tears.
The next morning the storm was about to hit, but we had recieved a few tiny glimpses of hope (*see video). The only person we knew who stayed behind was sending photos, as the waters rose closer & closer to our doorstep. Even two hours inland we were getting pummeled by rain, & the winds took down 3 trees around our cabin. I was reminded that God is faithful & good, whether or not we immediately get what we’re hoping for. So I sang “Faithful One“, which I co-wrote last year with my friends Jeremiah Jones (vocalist on the Ascension Music recording), Jamie Miley, & Justin Morgan – again, my own words lifted to Him in faith that no matter what happened, He’d work it for good, because He is FAITHFUL!
Lastly we received the news that the storm had been downgraded to a Category 2, & had moved further out to sea, raising our hope that we might actually see our little home again! One last time, to encourage my own heart, & the others bound by fear because of the storm, I sang “You are Here“, only written days before with my friends James Galbraith & Amanda Kinner, so the words were still fresh on my heart.
At approximately 1AM I got a Facebook message that the waters were receding, & that my house was still standing: beautiful news. We won’t know the full extent to the clean-up job ahead until we’re allowed to re-enter the disaster area, but my hopes are high. Thank you, friends, for worshipping with me through it all!
BELIEVER, Husband, Father, Son, Pastor, Songwriter, Musician, Producer, Worshiper, Thinker, Creative
