Update From Sderot 8/20/11

My eye is not on the circumstances surrounding me, but on the living God who controls the circumstances of my life. Baruch Ha'Shem!

I wrote those words yesterday as I answered several emails from many who sent words of encouragement following the recent terror attack on Thursday in which eight Israelis were killed. This morning the truth held within those words became even more evident.

The rocket and mortars continue to pound the southern Negev. It is very challenging just trying to keep up with the media coverage here. There have been more than 40 rockets and mortars since Thursday, and the numbers of Israelis injured is growing.

The morning headlines read, HAMAS: There is no longer any truce with the enemy. Hamas has basically removed all restraint from the various terror factions in Gaza. The de facto truce that was agreed upon in 2009 following Operation Cast Lead was frequently ignored by Hamas over the past two years. In fact there have been nearly 850 rockets since the cease-fire.

Ha’Shem holds me in the palm of His hand and protectively watches over me and continually guides and directs my steps. He whispers…

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

I awoke this morning at 7 am and slowly made my way out to the coffee pot. On Saturday mornings I usually have time for a quick cup of coffee and a few minutes to check emails and headlines. I normally head for the shower by 7:20 in order to be ready on time to leave for Be’er Sheva for fellowship.

As I got online I notice a few messages from my daughter, but before I could open them to read them I received a SKYPE call from her. The news wasn’t good, her uncle had died, and so we talked for quite awhile. After saying good bye, I checked the time, it was nearly 8 am. I grabbed a quick shower and tried to make up the time as I finished getting ready.

By the time I was ready to go out the door I was only about 10 minutes behind schedule. As I was about to leave, I decided to run back to my room and grab my camera. I also decided to grab my first aid supplies to throw in my backpack. With all the increase in activity it just seems prudent to keep it all in my backpack. So by the time we were leaving for Be’er Sheva we were now nearly fifteen minutes behind. We picked up two more and then got on the road. But we never made it to Be’er Sheva.

About 15 minutes outside of Be’er Sheva the traffic had begun to stop up ahead. As we reached the half a dozen stopped cars we thought maybe there was an accident. We quickly became aware that it wasn’t an accident but a roadblock. Three police cars were blocking the two-lane road, and up ahead about a tenth of a mile in the oncoming lanes were more cars and flashing lights.

A grad rocket had hit the road up ahead only a few minutes before we got there. The investigation and removal of the rocket debris would take hours, and so realizing that we were not going to make it to Be’er Sheva we turned around and headed back home.

As we returned home I realize how very likely we might have been a lot closer to the Grad’s impact point if we had left the house fifteen minutes earlier. Baruch Ha’Shem! Toda raba Abba.

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”

Psalm 18:32