Last summer, in the middle of August, the craziest thing happened. I remember sitting at the morning church staff meeting, alongside a half dozen others, and watching as the winds whipped up outside, batting tree limbs back and forth like tiny blades of grass. As we watched though the windows of Centennial Hall I couldn’t help but think…
WHAT ON EARTH IS A HURRICANE DOING IN IOWA?!?
With gusts up to 140 miles per hour it mimicked wind speeds of a Category 4 hurricane. Which is nothing to sneeze at. Later that day I learned a new word to describe the weather event: derecho.
Aka a straight-line windstorm.
Aka Our Iowa Hurricane.
It still sounds so absurd to name aloud.
And, unlike a hurricane, we hardly knew it was headed our way.
My thoughts quickly moved to wondering what was to come – how many trees would be felled, how many livelihoods disrupted, how many people lost.
Over half a million Iowans lost power from the storm, saying goodbye to cool AC in the August heat for days, sometimes weeks. The derecho created property damage to the tune of about 7.5 billion dollars, making it the costliest thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history. There was plenty to worry about.
It was a great windstorm, no doubt.
Windstorm
Today’s text also features a great windstorm. After teaching a large crowd, when evening had come, Jesus asked the disciples to set sail for the other side of the sea. Ministry for the day now done, he headed to the stern of the boat and laid down to sleep.
Time to rest.
Time to recharge.
Time to relax.
But then the weather turned.
A great windstorm arose.
Waves beat the vessel.
Water began to get in.
These weren’t rookies out on the sea. At least four of the twelve were fishermen by trade. They knew something bad was coming up.
You better believe they too wondered what was to come.
How many boats would be sunk?
How many livelihoods disrupted?
How many people would be lost?
So much of what they loved in this world was on that ship. Soon, perhaps, it would all be no more.
It was a great windstorm, no doubt.
Fortunately, all storms, no matter how great they may be, share one thing in common.
Eventually they end.
And then?
Often this is where humanity shines best.
Derecho
After the derecho passed through insurance companies got to insuring. Out-of-state resources rushed in. Utility companies sent trucks and teams. As a result, we got power back weeks earlier than Iowa assets alone could have done.
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I asked Facebook friends to share their 2020 derecho experiences, here are some of our tales.
Trent’s twin daughters were in their backyard, trying to reign in a huge limb that fell into the yard next door. One of their neighbors noticed the girls struggling and came over, with chainsaw in hand, to help. In less than an hour the limb had been cut to manageable pieces and stacked up nicely.
Larry mentioned venturing outside to see what damage had happened near their home. There was plenty. The street was blocked on both ends by fallen trees. He joined alongside other neighbors; chainsaws, axes, ropes and rakes were on the street in minutes. After the streets were cleaned up several people stuck around to clean up individual yards. No one asked, people just got out there and got to it.
The Brakke’s were out of town when the derecho hit. Their home lost power, no surprise there. But they have a backup generator, a real asset in a weather emergency. A friend came over to get it running. They then invited people to their home to cool down, to work, to sleep, to store their refrigerated or frozen foods. Whatever their needs may be.
Lynn remembers there was no power in Collins. So the mayor brought in a food truck and everyone ate for free. The volunteer fire department cleaned streets and cut down branches for only a thank you. She felt some real small-town pride that day, seeing people come together like that.
At our home we lost a major branch on the big ash tree out front. Ironically, after going through half a dozen hurricanes in Florida, we’d never had much tree damage. And didn’t own a chainsaw, go figure. One neighbor loaned us an electric chainsaw, and we got to work on the massive branch. Another neighbor came by with a gas-powered chainsaw, and we worked together until everything was cut into firewood sized logs.
Bobby Douglas, the retired Iowa State wrestling coach, and also our next-door neighbor, came over, and helped move our storm debris to the ravine out back. I tried telling him we were fine; Bobby is no spring chicken.
But he insisted.
He stayed until the job was done.
It was a day I’ll never forget.
Calm
With wind still whipping water into the vessel, the twelve woke Jesus up in the middle of the storm. It’s easy to bag on the disciples. They often seem so hapless. But this time? Pretty sure I’d have woken him up too.
Jesus speaks.
Calm returns.
Disciples are filled with awe.
I like to think the twelve then band together and swab the decks, correct course, get a good night’s sleep. Helping each other until all is well.
And before you know it they arrive on the other side of the sea, unharmed.
Jesus then immediately heals a man with an unclean spirit – this is Mark after all – and the business of the day goes on.
When great windstorms pop up, remember this.
On the boat of life we are never alone.
We have our Lord.
We have each other.
With these –
Fear can dissipate.
Peace is possible.
Just look for guidance, from above.
Just look to help your neighbor.
For the storms of this world, when we band together, will end.
Every. Single. Time.
