Tornadoes, Flat Tires, Deer, and living in Thanksgiving to God

Readings today included Ecclesiastes 4, 5, & 6, Psalm 18, and Ephesians 3

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: Ecclesiastes 5:18 This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot.

Observation: It’s good to find a measure of contentment in whatever life throws our way.

Application: Yesterday was quite a day. Just before I left for church we learned that tornadoes had directly hit the properties where two of my wife’s siblings and parents live. We knew the houses were still intact, but also that there was much devastation. Then as I went to leave for church I noticed that a tire on my wife’s van was low on air. I told the rest of the family and they were able to stop and fill it with air on their way to church. Unfortunately, by early afternoon it had gone completely flat while she was dropping off one of the kids at Boy Scout camp. (I guess if you’re going to have a flat tire, a Boy Scout camp is probably a good place to do it, Scouts honor and all!) They got the tire off and the spare tire on. After church we drove in separate vehicles to see how the family members were doing with all the tornado damage. (We knew that a couple of the cars had been struck by trees, so we took an extra vehicle to leave for them to use.) Our family members were okay and, remarkably, their homes had not been directly hit, even though the damage in the area was severe, including in the immediate areas surrounding one of the homes. During the storm my father-in-law was literally blown over into a bush as he and my mother-in-law were on their way to the outside entrance to the cellar; they frantically crawled the rest of the way as the trees were splitting and coming down all around them. We spent the evening helping get a generator hooked up, surveying the damage, learning the details of the stories, waiting for insurance adjusters, greeting neighbors, and the like. Finally we went out for what was supposed to be a birthday supper. And in a way it was…our family was safe.

On the way home at like 10:30 or so, my wife and I hit a deer with our car! We weren’t hurt, and though the car had some damage, it was still driveable. The Sheriff deputy eventually came to fill out his report and then we drove the rest of the way home.

Long story, I know. A long day too. But I have no complaints. Yes, there were and are several inconveniences that we’ll still need to work through. And granted, things were much worse for some than for others. But it was still a day in the life that God has given. One of the precious “few days of life,” as writer of Ecclesiastes says, “God gives us.”

Prayer: Lord, thanks for each day and the opportunities, even when difficult, that unfold. In Jesus’ name. Amen.