The ice storm of 2009 did one thing for> everyone in it’s path – it got our attention!> For the multiplied thousands of> residents who lost power, heat, water,> trees and not a little sleep, it was a> storm to remember. But hopefully,> we’
ll do more than remember; we> should also learn to listen when God> speaks in the storm.> We’
ve been saddened by the loss of so> much beauty in our community. The> magnificent trees that line our streets> and shade our homes; the great oaks,> maples and pines that adorn our countryside> will never be the same. They> look like a scene taken from war. And> it is right to be sad, because those trees> are God’s handiwork and were stamped> with something of His glory as creator.> Now they are twisted and broken. But> our sadness ought to be tempered with> knowing that they were only meant to> be temporary anyway. This world is> not supposed to last, and its true beauty> will one day be forever eclipsed by the> unstained beauty of the new heavens> and the new earth. If we are too sad> about the trees, it betrays in us an inordinate> attachment to this earth and a> failure to see past the trees.> We’
ve all been touched by the many> expressions of human kindness this> week. People have opened their homes,> volunteered to man shelters, transported> the elderly, checked on shut-ins, shared> resources and generally looked out for> one another. Crews from many states> have come to our aid. It has been an> overflow of kindness and compassion!> We call that common grace from the> hand of God. But the great sadness is> that many will only see the triumph of> the human spirit rising over adversity> and overcoming this bad turn of> “luck.” Man will be the hero rather> than God as the giver of every good> thing.> The danger we face, greater than the> loss of thousands of dollars of property,> food and resources, is that we won’t be> humbled by this stroke of providence> from the hand of God. A little rain,> dropping temperatures and a few inches> of snow undid us. It reduced us to near> helplessness. We
couldn’t stop it. With> all our technical
wizardry, pinpoint> forecasts, government agencies and> emergency response teams we simply> could not stop it. We could not will it> away. We watched the flash of exploding> transformers and listened all> through the night with cringing fear as> trees far older than the oldest residents> of our community were stripped of their> limbs by just a coating of ice. We were> at God’s mercy, but were we humbled?> Did we repent? Did we even think of> that day when the elements will melt> with fervent heat and all men will stand> truly helpless before God? Did we see> the storm as a call from God to abandon> our self-reliance and throw ourselves> upon His mercy? Or was it just another> feather in our collective cap that we> made it through another crisis on our> own?> The ice storm of 2009 is a serious call> to humility, repentance, renewed dependence> upon God and an appreciation> of what is to come at the end of the age.>
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