It’s the day after Hurricane Matthew. Aside from a little cleanup all that’s left to remind us of Matthew is the occasional whooo of the wind coming from the last little bands of this weather system.

The Scooby Doo haunted house sound reminds me of the way our neighbors and even strangers have reached out to one another in the face of imminent danger. The conversations struck up in line at the grocers while stocking up on canned goods. The infinite patience people suddenly had while waiting in even longer lines for gas or water. One neighbor helping another put up hurricane shutters. We are an independent sort yet the challenges we share catapult us over the walls of our social and religious differences, the details of our lives, our political opinions and affiliations and into the realm of the heart were we experience deep caring and concern for one another.

As human beings we all want the same things for ourselves and our loved ones, safety, happiness…we share the same processes of securing these things. In the case of a possible hurricane we all had the same set of preparations to walk through; shoring up our homes, stocking up on food , batteries, flashlights, water…deciding whether to leave or stay, worrying about loved ones. Our nerves tingled with the same nervous anticipation. Up front and center were our shared concerns.

Standing in those lines we saw each other’s heart’s .
Isn’t it true that all of our challenges are shared challenges?
We will all go through the same experiences. Perhaps in different ways or at different times. Yet, In essence all of our challenges are shared challenges.

We continue to watch the weather station today as this hurricane makes it’s way up the coast, not out of idle curiosity but from a deep concern for our neighbors, those down the block, in our communities and those miles and miles up the road.
Let this remind us that we are not alone. Reach out – you do not need to go through this alone. (whatever ‘this’ might be in your life right now.) There are those who care.