In my life, I have not seen a typhoon as strong and as devastating as Glenda. The howling of the wind is still vivid to my ears – sometimes whistling, but all the time rampaging like an angry bull,tearing anything in its path. Roofs of houses were blown away like pieces of paper, rolled or crumpled and thrown in mid-air. Age-old trees were uprooted like they were weeds. Big branches were snapped and left dangling or smashed to the ground. Leaves and vegetation were swished away, ground to pieces and scattered to the ground creating a carpet of green after Glenda left.

Our glass window became a giant movie screen of chaos, trees were waving furiously, yielding to the power of nature. For almost six hours, Glenda played her part exceptionally well. She danced and rolled and twirled her fingers, then she jumped and stomped and marched with glee. But she would not stop to rest, as if enjoying her show of power.

As the typhoon was raging, I was afraid and prayed that it would soon stop. I was thinking of the poor and the damage she will leave behind. But while I was watching the giant screen of chaos, inside me there was a silent admiration of the God who is the Master of nature. The typhoon is His servant. The wind yields to His call. The fury of typhoon Glenda is a glimpse of the power of the Lord. At that moment, I felt a sense of pride and awe that the God who controls the wind and the raging storm is the God who loves and cares for me. I realized that I was not really afraid of the storm. I know God rules and in His wisdom, He sent this great typhoon in our midst for a good purpose.

After Glenda unleashed her might, she decided to shift direction. The sky brightened a bit, and suddenly there was quiet. But not on the ground where Glenda left humungous debris that revealed her might. Still, the glory of God shone more brightly, as we discovered small miracles one after the other. A big narra branch fell right on our car, only for us to see that it did not leave any dent. A huge mango tree fell over the house of a friend and it was God’s providence that they were not on that side of the house where it fell. A lot of people can tell stories of deliverance. God is good even in the midst of a raging storm.

After we have cleared the driveway of falling branches, we immediately braved the highway to check on our parents. Along the way are the Ohs and Ahhs of destruction. Coconut trees were like standing matchsticks, houses were chopped of their roof, some flattened to the ground; electric posts were hugging the road, and rice fields looked like a man-made lake. Our first stop was in my mother’s house. The sight in our yard was devastating. Rambutan trees ready for harvest were lying on the ground as if crying in pain. My mother was eating lunch and seemed fine, until I noticed that her speech was slurred and unclear. My husband and I decided to bring her to the hospital where the doctor said that it was very timely that we did , otherwise she could have suffered a full-blown stroke.

We could have tarried. We could have checked on my in-laws first. But the Lord directed us to where we were most needed.I have seen the power of a great storm. But in the midst of its fury, behold the glory, the love and care of God to His people!