Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

There is something inherent about listening to those things that let us know when ominous weather is headed our way. Long before Doppler Radar came on the scene, nature has always given us signs of when bad weather is approaching. Dark ominous clouds are usually the first warning, followed by a sudden drop in the temperature. Ever notice that the birds seem to disappear? Even though we can get updates on incoming bad weather, it is when we look to the heavens, and can almost instantly realize that bad is about to happen-somewhere. It happened all over the South Easter Sunday, and Northeast Louisiana was not spared. According to the National Weather Service, it is been reported that EF-1, 2 and 3 tornados with winds up to 140mph hit Ouachita Parish damaging/destroying multiple homes. As of press time, there were no reported deaths in the parish caused by the storm.

Storms as we know, happen all of the time. However, when they happen on special days like Easter, they tend to linger with us for a long time. We all know where we were and what we were doing, and in just an instance, everything changes. We don't know what the outcome will be. If we are honest with ourselves, some become frightened or very concerned, while others may feel a sense of calm knowing that whatever happens is out of our hands, but in the hands of God. This reporter knows what it means to lose a home due to a devastating storm (Katrina), but as one resident was reported saying that material things can be replaced, but a life cannot. Storms such as what happened Sunday also reminds us that "we can run, but one can't run far enough" to escape the forces of nature. Man was given dominion over the earth, but not over the forces of nature.

Dispatch

Roofs Damaged

Community organizations and everyday people (God bless them) are already helping the displaced, whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed. State and local officials (governor and mayors) are seeking aid that will be needed to restore and rebuild people's lives and homes. As Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo said, the people in Ouachita Parish "are resilient, we will bounce back". Now is not the time to be "a proud community", but a thankful one. The storms will continue to come, and the people will rebuild. WE know when the storms will come and how bad they may be. WE can prepare for them the best way we know how. Yet the scriptures teach us to seek shelter in times of storm as the wind blows and the rain falls. Whether that shelter is in a building or a house, the real shelter is in the hands of God. His hands were here Sunday. WE are still dependent on one another.