One of the Scariest Weeks of my LifeGratefulThis week has been one of the scariest weeks of my life, with Hurricane Irma starting as a Category 5, and as recent as yesterday morning still a Category 4 heading straight for Tampa Bay where I've lived the last 8 years. Our family has been scrambling. Living on the beach, we were evacuated on Friday, and couldn't get a flight out for 4 people anywhere north. We wound up coming inland to my good friend Dan Long's house, boarded up the windows, and hoped for the best. Most importantly, we all prayed together, continually, for the safety of our family. Yesterday morning the storm was still a Category 4 with Tampa in the direct path to be hit last night. The predicted storm surge was 10 - 12 feet, which would have put my home and all the homes on our street at the beach under water. All I kept thinking was as long as my family stays safe...my wife, my two daughters, extended family here in town...whatever happens, God, let us please stay safe. By some miracle the storm weakened to a Category 1 by the time it hit us last night (which was not on ANY forecast prediction for the entire past week). My kids actually slept through it. The storm surge was minimal and there is no flooding of which to speak of at the beach. We know God's protection was around our family, as we prayed and leaned on him all throughout. Today, I am grateful for my family's safety. I'm grateful for such great friends who opened up their home without hesitation, and treated us like family. I'm grateful for the opportunity to bond together as friends and family through a scary and dangerous situation. I'm grateful for the perspective that it gave us all. Bottom line, nothing else matters in life but people. My house could have been flooded or even destroyed and we would have bounced back. But lives can't be replaced. I'm grateful for the protection that was around us. Someone asked me "Joel, why would God allow a hurricane like this? Why does God allow these things to happen?" Well, I truly believe one of the reasons is to help us all get back to square 1, where we realize what's really, truly important in life. I know there have been plenty of times where I've lost sight of what's most important, chasing all the wrong things, giving them priority over the people that matter most. And unfortunately, when everything is smooth sailing, we aren't very quick to realize just how much our perspective has drifted. Instead, it takes uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful situations and life events for us to be brought back to our True North -- what we know at our core, but don't necessarily always follow. Today, I am humbled, and grateful, and am reminded of what's truly most important in my life. It's not our house that I work so many hours to pay for every week, it's not the "stuff" we have, it's the people...it's the relationships I've been blessed with. It's my kids. My wife. My family. My best friends. Even more, I know I went through this experience this past week so hundreds of thousands of people on this newsletter list could hear this message today. Maybe you weren't affected by the storm, but the reminder is one for us all... Hug those closest to you today. Tell them you love them, extra. Let them know how important they are to you. Reach out and initiate repairing that broken relationship with a family member or best friend. Life is too short. In life, relationships are all we got...that's it. With God, with family, with close friends, and with everyone else God entrusts us to cross paths with during our time here. Our mission: to impact people FIRST, and spend the majority of our day fostering the relationships that matter most. I'm grateful for the renewed perspective. God, thank you for your mercy and your goodness and for reminding me, and this family, of what matters most. Thank you for the opportunity to share this message with 4 sold out football stadiums worth of people on this newsletter list. Thank you for being our Father. You are awesome, and good, and we honor you today. Amen. God bless every single one of you today. In sincere friendship, Joel P.S. Today is the 16th anniversary of September 11th. I can still remember where I was when the first and second planes crashed into those towers 16 years ago, and the lasting impact that day has had on so many people in America and all over the world. Cherish your time with your family today. And if something's not right between you and someone else, lay down your pride, fix it, correct it...do whatever you can. God will honor your efforts, and give you peace. ------- Joel Marion, CISSN Founder, Transformation Insider Conversionology, Inc., PO Box 969, Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785 |