From Vulnerability to Resurrection
It was just before midnight Tuesday evening. I had gone to bed half an hour before and, while drifting off into that pre-sleep daze, it happened…
Our area tornado siren went off!
Regaining some form of consciousness, I sprinted down the stairs, yelled, and sent our family to the basement. But curiosity got the best of me. I went to our front door, opened it, and stepped out onto our front porch. (I live east of Medina on River Styx, just south of a parallel line to Medina Square with a straight view of the west.) I watched the progress of the storm through the lightning flashes and then heard the muffled sound like a train getting louder.
At that point, Mark Johnson, meteorologist for five, said clouds were rotating over Medina Square. “Get to your basement immediately!” he urged.
All of a sudden, I felt so vulnerable as a human being. I have never been out of work in my life, patients needing my help but I’m not able to see them, and now for the first time in my life, I have a tornado coming right at my family!
But it dawned on me, mankind doesn’t run when faced with conflict. Our Creator created us to face our problems head on. Looking at the oncoming storm, I was contemplating what my next move might be when my wife yelled “We are going to the basement. You might want to join us!”
At that point, with no power, holding a dying flashlight and looking up into the clouds, I thought… don’t mistake stupidity for bravery… I went to the basement!
When I woke up the next morning, all was very calm. Looking out across our lake, there was not one ripple on the surface of the water. A tree had blown over, just missing our basketball hoop, but all was warm and very quiet as the sun peaked over the horizon.
As I looked at our flowering cherry tree, I noticed its blossoms were intact and it looked beautiful, like a fountain of white, cascading down to the ground.
And it hit me, this is Easter week, a time our thoughts turn to vulnerability and resurrection. We boast of all our advances in technology, how superior we are to past generations, our own self sufficiency, and yet this Spring we have been humbled by a virus and, Tuesday night, by Nature herself!
Our Good Friday will come with the peaking of the pandemic and our resurrection from this painful period in our lives will follow. We are a resilient lot - vulnerable yes - but defeated no.
Keep the faith, love one another, help others when possible, and as we roll back the stone for a healthy Summer ahead of us, let’s all be thankful for what we have.
- Dr. P