Melissa didn’t arrive… she attacked!

She came with ferocious eyes to remove everything out of its domain, including buildings, trees, human beings, animals, and the unknown. Hardly anything dared to challenge the overpowering Melissa as she wreaked havoc after a 10-day trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean last month.  Melissa’s wishful death came after it entered the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Hurrah! Yippee!

The historic Category 5 hurricane packing winds of 300 km an hour slammed into Jamaica, the first country where t hit landfall, “tying with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane in the Florida Keys as “the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane on record.” Without a doubt, its effects would catastrophic.

Melissa was mad with everything that came into its path. Fortunately or unfortunately, my wife and I witnessed and survived the wrath of Melissa. Praises to God. One moment we were staying in a bedroom at my brother’s house in Montego Bay, and the next moment the room became roofless and a part of its window blown out. Broken glass took on wings and sent razor sharp missiles everywhere in the room.

Utility poles were rooted out of their deep holes; trees bent over to Melissa’s command; roofs fought back to hold their fixed positions but to no avail. The trees gave us fruits that were too far to reach for picking. That was the only gift Melissa gave us. Melissa was too mad to show any mercy. Yet, only God’s mercy was evident in curtailing more damage and loss of lives.

Jamaica’s road to recovery is going to be long and difficult. The frustrations were evident within days of the aftermath because when Melissa stole food, electricity, water, and communications, they only add to the frustrations. Long lines at supermarkets and endless lines at gas stations; not to mention the throng of people and cars near the Montego Bay Airport trying to get internet and telephone signals.

However, where there’s life there’s hope, as the saying goes. Melissa is dead; we are still alive. Life is God’s precious gift to us, and will always be. Are there any lessons though from Melissa’s onslaught on lives and property?  Where was God in all of this tragedy? There were screams for help from hopeless voices trapped in swelling waters, mud, and roofless homes. People agonizing over loss of businesses and loved ones. One might even be tempted to ask, where was God when children, the elderly, and disabled were being washed away. Melissa was merciless. Where was God’s mercy?

Psalm 46: 1, tell us, “God is our refuge and strength, a^] very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the ^[b]midst of the sea; ³ Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.

God is there to always lean on. There will always be stories about God’s miraculous provisions during Melissa’s short reign. My wife and I continue to give God thanks that we were not in that room when the roof blew off or when the windows blew out in two instances.

We worship a sovereign God who has control over everything. He has control over the weather (Exodus 9:29; Psalm 135:6-7; Jeremiah 10:13); the skies and the rain (Psalm 77:16-19); the wind (Mark 4:35-41; Jeremiah 51:16). the universe (Hebrews 1:3);  the clouds (Job 37:11-12, 16); over lightning (Psalm 18:14); God has power over all nature (Job 26).

God could have stopped the raging Melissa but he didn’t. Such acts of nature are part of our physical world, however, it’s His prerogative whether He intervenes or not. We must remember we don’t live in a perfect world; we live in a fallen world, therefore, we are subjected to all manner of negatives in life. Yet, God does intervene whenever He chooses. Miracle stories in disasters like Melissa are bound to surface or have already come to light at the time of writing this article.

Romans 8: 18-25 reminds us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of ^[f]corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

Nevertheless, the lessons we can draw from Melissa is life is fickle; it’s a vapour. If we don’t die from old age, diseases, accidents, or natural disasters, we all have an appointment with death. “See ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all things will be added unto you.” Matt 6:33.