August 5th

Standing Together After the Storm

To my dear TFMC family,

I, like some of us,  spent Sunday evening bailing out our back stairwell, trying desperately to get ahead of the water that was coming in and seeping into our basement.  For an hour, as I tossed buckets of water, I prayed, loudly, sometimes irreverently; I was praying for God to cut us some slack.  Enough was enough.

While bailing I kept thinking of a hymn, “When the Storms of Life are Raging,” the first verse goes: “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me; when the storms of life are raging stand by me.  When the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea, thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me.”  I was not alone bailing, many, if not all of my neighbours were doing the same.  I don’t know where the strength came from for my body to keep going.  My back and legs tell me today that I definitely overexerted myself.

While for some of us, this rain was a minor inconvenience, for others it was a catastrophic event, where entire basements, including furniture, and possessions are lost.  The mental, emotional, and spiritual toll of this weather event can be devastating.  Upsetting lives in ways that were at one time unimaginable.  

There are fermenting frustrations with what has occurred.  In my neighbourhood it’s hard to find a home not touched by this.  My neighbours are quietly suffering while we all work to keep a strong facade trying to do the work of cleaning up.  

And while stopping the ingress of water was one struggle, the longer, harder struggle will be the clean up, repair, and rebuilding.  Insurance may help with the financial side of things, but there is so much else that needs to be rebuilt and repaired.  The good news is, we need not face the cleanup alone.  Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:2 to "bear one another's burdens." 

As a church community who supports one another, I urge us to help each other as we can.  Some of us have needs, fans, dehumidifiers, and help trucking detritus to the dump.  And some of us have resources, fans, dehumidifiers, wet-dry vacs, carpet cleaners, saws, vehicles, expertise and experience.  Folk are going to need help rebuilding, and we may know people who can help in particular ways, like plumbers, or other trades.  May we be hands and feet for each other as we rebuild. 

And while we do that work, let's not forget there's also the unseen damage to heal; the mental toll, the emotional stress, the spiritual pang.  For some of our congregation this is going to be a trying time.  I know for myself, I’ve shared the story of what happened to us with others, and it’s helped lighten the load.  Sympathetic ears have helped me gain perspective, feel relief, knowing we did what we could. And to remind me that everyone is safe.  Please know you don't have to walk through it alone. Reach out. We're here.

May the God who rules wind and water stand by us all. And may we be each other's shelter as we clean, repair, and begin again.

In gratitude,

Craig Janzen Neufeld, Pastor