Lessons Learned

Our neighborhood yesterday from Chopper 5-a local news helicopter

What a weekend!  Technically it wasn't a weekend since it started on Thursday, but it feels like a weekend because of the circumstances.  I already went over the details of the storm so I won't relive that again, but it is interesting how challenges can either bring out the worst or the best in people.  I believe this weekend brought out the best.  My Dad is 80 years old, and he had three downed trees in his backyard.  He could have whined about it or complained or expected someone to come help him out, but instead he went out and got his old chainsaw and went to work.  His grandsons and my brother in law helped him by hauling out the branches and the stumps, but he was out there working the entire day.  He has always been an example of not complaining and just going to work.  The next day when you think he would be exhausted and needing a rest, he was over at my sister's house who also lost two trees, one gigantic one that they are estimating was around 100 years old.  He worked all day there, I swear he is still as strong as an ox.  What a great example he is to all of us, when I grow up I want to be like him!  There is still so much I can and do learn from him.

A neighbor just down the street from my sister lost around 30 trees-their neighborhood was there starting Thursday as the winds finally died down, until last night hauling out trees.  My sister told me of a man in their ward who felt prompted a while back to buy a big and expensive chain saw.  He thought it was silly, he already had a chain saw, so he ignored the prompting.  It kept coming though, and he bought it, wondering in the months following why?  Well this man spent all day from sun-up to sun-down the last few days sawing up all the downed trees.  His chainsaw was put to good use in the service of others.

My sister's yard was such a mess, there is no way they could have gotten that tree out and all the mess out on their own.  She talks about how even though she was overwhelmed and so sad to lose the trees, she knew that people would help them out, and they did.  Family and friends were there Friday and Saturday.  They even had friends that had equipment to remove the huge pieces of trunk that were impossible to lift.  By Saturday evening all that remained was the stump.

Yesterday we arrived at church, only to find that our meetings would be cancelled and we would have a shortened Sacrament Meeting.  After meetings everyone that was able was asked to meet in our circle to gather to clean up all the branches and piles of debris and to move it out, because we were under yet another high wind warning for last night.  All those branches and things did not need to become projectile missiles at everyone's already damaged homes.  Our ward showed up and cleaned up the neighborhood in record time. We were concerned about my parents branches in front of their house.  They live in an elderly neighborhood, and so we sent my kids, my sister and her family, and with some neighbors and the help of a cousin from Salt Lake, cleared away all the branches.  And yes, my Dad was the last one working.

Probably the coolest thing about this weekend was watching everyone work together and help each other out.  My niece's husband put it perfectly that this weekend gave everyone an opportunity to live their religion.  We often talk and preach about serving and bearing one another's burdens, but this weekend especially on Sunday was an opportunity to live it.

In our shortened meeting one of our neighbors shared a thought that I have been thinking about-  He talked about the winds and the damage it did to our homes.  Then compared that to us and how are we prepared to weather the storms of life.  Not a new comparison perhaps, but always a timely one.  If our foundation is Christ, there is no storm that will destroy us. ( Helaman 5 verse 12 )

Then last night we gathered to share a Twitchell family tradition.  We always gather to eat, go caroling at a rest home, and then watch the Christmas devotional.  Because of circumstances we decided to eat later and skip the caroling to allow everyone to work later.  When we arrived at my sister's the power had just gone off.  The food was not quite done, but we found a neighbor who had generator and finished cooking the food there. We lit candles, and were prepared to enjoy a "romantic" dinner with family.  Just as we were about to begin, the power came back on.  As we talked of Christ, the parallels with light and power cannot be ignored.  Truly Christ is the light in the darkness.  Knowledge and testimony of Him can fill even the darkest corner of our lives with light.  What a great way to end the weekend with family and watching the prophets.  May we continue to keep the spirit of Christ and His light in our lives throughout the remainder of this holiday season.