Happy Hurricane Douglas Day!

The year was 2020. Covid was in full swing. My wife and I were married for less than a year. And the grocery stores and hardware stores were flooded with people preparing for the Category 1 Hurricane Douglas.

We had just moved into a micro-apartment on the 11th floor. If the storm hit, it would have been particularly awful for us. The one room studio apartment had a glass wall that faced the ocean. The building didn’t even have an enclosed hallway. We would have been forced to shelter in the bathroom or in the stairwell. Looking back, I can see that, quite frankly, we were not prepared at all for a hurricane. But it was coming anyways, and soon, the only thing we could do was wait.

The Hawaiian Islands are arranged in an almost straight line and the path of the hurricane matched the path of the islands almost perfectly. The storm was set to pass directly over every single island:

We waited and waited for the worst… Finally I got tired of waiting, walked out onto the balcony and that’s when this happened:

I didn’t edit this photo at all. It was taken from an iPhone SE. That’s just what the sunset actually looked like that day. Those clouds you see are actually the outer rings of Hurricane Douglas. But here is what it looked like on the news:

You can barely even see the islands because they are completely covered by the hurricane. And yet God completely protected us from this storm. Hurricane Douglas passed within 30 miles of Oahu, but we only got a little bit of rain and some wind gusts. While Maui and Oahu experienced some downed trees and minor damages, there were no fatalities or major injuries reported.

Celebrating Hurricane Douglas Day

When I got married, my dad said to me, “the fun thing about getting married is you get to start your own family traditions.” So I decided to start a new family tradition: Hurricane Douglas Day. Every year on July 26th, we celebrate the day that Hurricane Douglas passed by Hawaii and God spared us from its full force. But I don’t want a lame boring holiday that is just a name. This day has to be special and different from other days. Otherwise, it’s just like any other day. So how can we make Hurricane Douglas Day special? Sugary, swirly drinks of course! Every year my wife and I celebrate with a fun treat, a Frosty from Wendy’s, or a smoothie or some other delicious drink.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” - Genesis 50:20 (ESV)

What should have been a devastating hurricane turned into easily the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. Our God is a God who turns evil into good. He turns tragedy into therapy. When the world is spinning out of control, and all that is good in the world is being cut into tiny pieces, God turns around and blends it into a delicious treat.

But What if the Storm Hits?

This time, we escaped the storm. But only this time. In 1992, when Hurricane Iniki hit, we weren’t so lucky. It was a Category 4 hurricane that devastated the island of Kauai. It destroyed 1,400 homes and caused $1.8 billion in damages.

Tragedy can and will hit sooner or later. I want to be very clear. I am not saying that God will protect us from every storm. And I am not trying to minimize the pain and suffering that real people experience during real tragedies. I’m not even suggesting that we should look for the silver lining in every situation. Tragedy is tragedy. It hurts, it’s painful, and it should be mourned.

No, what I am saying is that our God redeems tragedy. He takes the worst of the worst and turns it into something beautiful. Now, He doesn’t do this on my schedule but He does, in fact, do it. It is not a matter of if, but when. He will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5). And He will turn our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11).

Don’t Forget to Brag About God

So, on this day, I want to brag about God. I want to tell the world how amazing He is. I want to tell you that He is a God who loves us, protects us, and redeems us.

“He who brags, let him brag in the Lord.” - 2 Corinthians 10:17

And I want to encourage you. If and when you are in the midst of the storm, do not forget that your God is with you. Trust in Him. He will make all things right. Look back upon your life and I am sure that you will find moments where God has turned your mourning into dancing. If you can’t seem to find them, then keep looking. They are there. Then hold on to those moments. Remember them. Celebrate them. And when the storm passes, don’t forget to brag about how amazing our God is.