SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
ON THE PORCH
“OH, THE IRONY!!”
“Oh, the irony!!!”
Benny and I came to Ruidoso yesterday to Sabbath and relax. Our hearts need refreshment, renewal, and true rest. We hadn’t been here 20 minutes when I received a text from the owners of these cabins with the following message:
“Hi Chris! We’re forwarding the latest weather alert from the Village of Ruidoso for your awareness.
‘A Flash Flood Warning is currently in effect for the South Fork Burn Scar and surrounding areas, including Ruidoso, through 6:15 PM MDT today. The National Weather Service is advising everyone to avoid flooded areas and not to travel unless necessary. Please stay alert, use extra caution, and follow any local emergency instructions.’
We’re sharing this information simply to help keep you informed and safe during your stay. Thank you!”
From a drought in the desert in West Texas to a flash flood warning in the mountains of New Mexico…all within the span of 4 hours.
I fretted about it a bit because I’ve seen the videos of Ruidoso flooding, and it was BAD. The waters raged and trees, buildings, and anything else in its wake was swept away within seconds. When I asked Benny if he thought we were safe, he said, “I’m not a bit worried. We are on higher ground. This cabin has withstood all the previous flooding, and it is still standing.”
That should ease my mind and settle it, right?? NOPE! I asked him again a few minutes later, and another few minutes after that. I wanted his future reassurances that we were not in any danger.
The fourth time I asked, Benny said, “Why are you going to ask my opinion if you’re not going to listen to it??” Although he had answered my question repeatedly, I still worried, even though it wasn’t even raining at the moment.
Benny has always done a great job of keeping me and our family safe. He takes his job VERY seriously and plans ahead for events I don’t ever worry about, like snowstorms, cold weather, hot weather, or anything else that might go wrong. In fact, his granddad name is “Grug,” because of the movie “The Croods.” The entire movie revolves around the dad, Grug, struggling and sacrificing to keep his family safe, and the name fits Benny perfectly.
As I got up and started getting around this morning, I felt God nudging my heart to remember and review our conversation yesterday. That recollection reminded me that I do that with Him, too. I seek God and ask for His direction and guidance, but then if I don’t like or agree with His answer, I ask again, repeatedly. If I still don’t approve, I concoct and scheme plans on my own.
**For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8
I want to be in control, manipulating circumstances to have the outcome I desire. But God doesn’t work within boundaries, and His ways cannot be stuffed in a box or tied neatly with a bow. Sometimes His “You are safe because I’ve got you” has to be enough. I must trust His love and protection, or my head and heart will be swept away by dangerous thoughts that are not of Him. The “other” voice in my head, the enemy of my soul, wants nothing more than for me to discount and distrust in God’s sovereignty, love, and protection.
**He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
It started raining about bedtime and has not stopped since. I tried to look outside, but it is still too dark to see a thing. Even in the darkness, though, my heart has settled in this morning. We will be wise, and Benny will keep an eye on the weather. He has his phone set for weather alerts, and we’ll evacuate, if need be, but the bottom-line God is reminding my heart is that He will take care of us and provide.
I will enjoy our rest and let the nourishing rain replenish the dry places in my heart. We serve a LORD and Savior that sees us and protects us no matter where we are…
**Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You. Psalm 139:7-12
LORD God, I thank You for always having eyes on us, no matter where we go or what we do. Thank You for Benny’s protective Grug nature, his wisdom, and his dedication and sacrifices to protect and take care of me and our family. Thank You for being in control of our circumstances, whether we are concerned or not. Thank You for the sweet, sweet sound of rain in the background while I write this. Let me see it as a gift instead of a tragedy waiting to happen. Please also send the rain we so desperately need at home, nourishing the land and the people’s spirits. Allow my heart to stay tuned into Your heart. Remind me to be still, knowing You are God, no matter what today brings. May I always remember: You’ve never failed me, and I know You won’t start now. Amen
