As I watched (on TV) the devastation wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I thought of Rita Hayworth, a famous movie star from my teenage years. She was a spitting image of my high school sweetheart with whom I associate the song below (can't remember by whom):
THAT'S MY DESIRE
To spend one night with you
In our old rendezvous,
And reminisce with you.
That`s my desire!
To meet where gypsies play
Down in that dim cafe
And dance till break of day.
That`s my desire!
We`ll sip a little glass of wine,
I`ll gaze into your eyes divine,
I`ll feel the touch of your lips
Pressing on mine.
To hear you whisper low,
Just when it`s time to go,
"Cheri, I love you so!"
That`s my desire!
But now, I associate the name Rita with the name Katrina, and the damage they caused the states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The music's the same, the lyrics have changed.
HURRICANE RITA
We spent one night - with you,
In our old - dear bayou,
We wished it - weren't true,
That's our desire.
To meet with us - this way,
Down Luzi - anna way,
We wish'd you'd - gone away,
That's our desire.
We'll sip a little - glass of wine,
And gaze upon - God's eyes divine,
And feel the warmth - of His love,
His light - divine.
We hope to - whisper low,
Just when - it's time to go:
"O God - we love you so"
That's our desire.
By Carmen C. Chimento Sept. 28, 2005
Those of us (not in the thick of it) can easily say: "God loves each one of us infinitely and for all eternity - no matter what evils befall us. His love for us is boundless - and eternal."
But those in the thick of it are tempted to ask: "If He really loves us, why does He allow His wind, His rain, His lightning and His oceans to wreak such havoc upon us?"
It is foolish for anyone to presume to know the answer, for then we would presume to know the mind of God, and only God knows the mind of God. All we can do is use common sense to get out of the way of the forces of His elements. If we cannot do that, we have no choice but to accept His will no matter how harsh it may appear to be. For those who survive, our choice is to lay down in the gutter, or to get up, dust ourselves off, and with His grace, elevate our souls to even greater heights than we could ever have imagined.