It was in the news last week that March 13th was the anniversary of the Hesston tornado. Memories immediately flooded my mind. I was at work, in Newton, and the tornado sirens began their warning song. Children were just getting home from school, so all the parents in my office left immediately to get home.
I remember glancing down streets to see the monster cloud as I rushed home. It was so big that it seemed like it could bear down on Newton any moment. It veered north; half of Hesston was wiped out. A couple of evenings later, Ken drove us through the dirt county roads to see the damage. I was sorrowed to see so many trees snapped, as if they were twigs. I remember a comment of someone who was living in Hesston that they knew something ominous was about to happen because all the grass had laid down. It was flattened to the ground. She knew immediately to get to shelter. The trees that seemed so strong were broken by the storm, but the grass was standing back up afterward.
Henri Nouwen makes this observation:
Flexibility is a great virtue. When we cling to our own positions and are not willing to let our hearts be moved back and forth a little by the ideas or actions of others, we may easily be broken. Being like wild reeds does not mean being wishy-washy. It means moving a little with the winds of the time while remaining solidly anchored in the ground. A humorless, intense, opinionated rigidity about current issues might cause these issues to break our spirits and make us bitter people. Let’s be flexible while being deeply rooted.
Grace and Peace,
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NEXT MEETING: SUNDAY, APRIL 19TH 5PM AT THE HOME OF BILL AND PAM DELANEY 14715 SIEFKES, WICHITA 67230 DISCUSSING: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Bruegger Please read ahead of time in order to discuss! Snacks and beverages provided. |
Pastor Carolyn