To say, “Things have been different around our house, this week” is an understatement. The storms that rolled through our area on Sunday morning devastated our neighborhood and surrounding community. Our home suffered minor damage as compared to many others in our neighborhood, and over the last few days, the definition of community, “Come Unite” has been evident all over. People have come together to help each other remove trees from homes, start repairs, cover damaged roofs, and just clear and clean up debris.
We have been without power since Sunday morning. Cold showers are refreshing in the early morning, but it is not my favorite way to start each day. The humming of generators, the sounds of revving chain saw motors, leaf blowers, and other gas-powered equipment has become the usual sounds of the day and evenings. The nights seem darker almost completely black without the streetlights filtering through the blinds as usual. The occasional swath of light from headlights on utility trucks and other vehicles patrolling the neighborhood was hardly noticed just a few days ago, but now when we see a little light, we are caught peering out of the windows like baby birds looking through the opening on a birdhouse, just the see the darkness fade away, if only for a brief second.
Just last evening, my wife and I were sitting together, talking about anything and everything, staring into the light of a table lamp I had plugged into an extension cord from the generator. She said, “You know, the light from the lamp, after experiencing so much darkness, makes things feel a little more normal and gives me hope.” I was quiet and thoughtful for a moment after she made this statement, listening to the humming sound from the generator supplying the power for the “Light,” and pondering seeing how the community had come together as one when I recalled something I had read, “We need to be ready in and out of season to do His will.”
As leaders, in our homes, communities, and organizations, we must understand we are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others. It is a good thing to see all the people come together for the good of others, but it shouldn’t take a storm or disaster or a pandemic to make us move in the direction of making a difference and adding value to others. This is something we should always be doing. I am very guilty of inaction, at times. I fall prey to shutting out the world by living in a bubble. I am guilty of falling into the routine of my daily life that serves only my needs and wants, failing to be of service to the needs and wants of others. I think we all do this on occasion.
I do not like to acknowledge that sometimes, just maybe, it takes a storm, disaster, or pandemic to jolt us back to reality to make us realize we are not living alone on an island. We are a community, a team of people, living together, depending on each other, disciples serving one another, serving Him. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” We should always “be ready,” whether we like it or not. Because, if we do what only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. I am saddened to admit that, on occasions, I have resembled the last statement.
On a lighter note, my wife gave our grandchildren some money in an Easter card to purchase a popsicle from the ice cream truck that frequents their neighborhood in the afternoons. The Monday after Easter their mother was standing with them awaiting the arrival of the truck to their neighborhood, which on that day was a no show. Disappointed, they started back to the house when one of the grands sighed, “Well, the Easter bunny came, but the ice cream truck didn’t.” And a child shall lead them… This simple statement helps me to understand that if we seek and follow the things of this world we are bound to experience some temporary disappointments in our lives, but if we seek and follow Him, His gift of grace will provide us with salvation, faith, hope, joy and unconditional love, forever.
I encourage each of us to “Come Unite” in community, putting our focus on Him. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…” He was telling us is that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first and everything else second. It will make a difference and add value to all of us. 2 Timothy 4:2
Have a wonderful day,
James Dodwell
