GANEIDA'S KNOT.

Go mbeannai Dia duit.

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Quaker by conviction, mother by default, Celticst through love, Christ follower because I once was lost but now am found...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kiss my Yasi. ~ Cairn's graffiti

Like most of Queensland, most of Australia, we have been glued to the cyclone tracker for the past few days ~ not only because these things have been known to bounce down the coast & ruffle our waters down here but because I have various bits of my family scattered in the hit zone.

My brother, a boatie, like the rest of the marine fleet in Cairns, had to move his boat up river & ride the night out as best he could.  I have a cousin in Cairns too, but at least she's land bound.  My older boy is at Townsville & my youngest on Hamilton Island ~ all places that suffered various degrees of angst during the night.

Now the sun's come up on a picture of devastation & Yasi is still zooming across the state & about to cross a state border into the Northern Territory but you know what?  Thank God.  Of all the placesYasi  could have crossed last night, including either of our biggest northern towns [Cairns or Townsville], it chose Mission Beach, a small, scarcely populated area, most of whom had been evacuated to safer ground.  Yes, phone towers are down & the power is out in thousands of homes & the clean up bill is going to be phenomenal but you know what?  This wasn't a Tracey.  We learnt something from Tracey.  I don't think any of us who are old enough to remember Tracey will forget the Christmas Morning pictures of Darwin, a thriving city, absolutely flattened to the ground ~ or the loss of life.  Happy Christmas, Darwin!

Tracey changed the building codes & most of the main structures in Yasi's path seem to be structurally undamaged ~ though only time will tell for sure.  The evacuations & preparedness of the north seems to have ensured there has been no loss of life ~ though again perhaps a little early to be sure.It seems to me God has had His protective hand over the people of Northern Queensland ~ & having ridden out a couple of category 3s ourselves I can only begin to imagine how terrifying it got last night as Yasi made landfall with all the impact of nuclear weaponry.

So the rain is still falling & there is flooding to come.  Outside my window it is so still, already warm & muggy, the bay lying like pewter glass.  Hard to believe that to the north of us Nature is still raging out of control but it is cyclone season  & chances are we aren't done yet.

9 comments:

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Good grief, but Australia has been through so much this year... Glad to hear preliminary reports of people NOT dying.

Joyfulmum said...

we've been praying over here....good to hear a report from you as you live up that way! praise God, we've been praying for it to be diverted / weakened / do minimal damage.
I was thinking of our old bloggy friend Amanda who lived up in Mission Beach, not sure how she is faring.

Finding Joy said...

We have certainly had the full spectrum of weather in this country in the last few months. I was also thinking of Amanda and wondering about her.

In my prayers.

Ruby said...

Yes, all praise and thanks to the Lord for his goodness and mercy! What a massive storm she was. We have not had even wind, only showery rain but stinking humidity....as usual.

Amy said...

Thanks for this update! I was so heavy hearted yesterday, thinking of all those poor people. QLD has had such a tough summer! Praise God that the damage/loss isn't what we'd feared!

Ganeida said...

HEM: I'm a little weird. I'll take a cyclone over a fire any day!

Joyful mum: Can't believe how little damage QLD's really suffered. & Jo: Has anyone e~mailed Amanda? Otherwise I will & just check she ok.

Ruby: So glad you guys didn't get hit again.

Amy: Yes, I think God was so gracious. The predictions were awful & for what it was we have been spared so much.

Sandra said...

I am happy and relieved to read you are safe. I saw this morning that there are no deaths. Amazing. Nature can wield a heavy sword.

Gerry Snape said...

My two nieces and families are in Melbourne and Perth but so far that seems to be o.k.
Just watching the news and praying for safety.

Ganeida said...

Sandra: I know you know about Nature. Northern QLD was incredibly lucky.

Gerry:Melbourne & Perth both a long long way from Yasi. I know I was wishing my boys were under my roof where I could keep an eye on them! lol They're grown men.