Light Breaks Through
Tropical Storm Isaias blew up the east coast a few weeks ago and brought with it an astonishing path of damage that left almost 100% of the homes in my town without power, cellular service, and WIFI. For perspective…the National Guard rolled into town to clear roads, move trees, and make sure we restored power and connectivity. It was a scene, to say the least.
On one of the powerless, post-storm evenings, I saw my friend and her husband make their way up our block. They were squeezing in a brief walk before the night skies rolled in. It is a pure joy every time I catch a glimpse of her on our road. She is fighting cancer and the treatments are hard on her. So anytime she feels well enough to be out walking I pretty much lose my mind. I ran out of our house to join them, my oldest in tow.
Please let us walk with you. Please let us be in this with you in the only way I can figure out how right now. We’ll walk the few feet. We’ll rejoice in the steps.
That’s what the voice in my head said. Out loud - I just cheered.
Being present was all we had to offer.
In the midst of loss, grief, disease, viruses, and an incredible amount of fear and lack of control, we laughed at my wacky cheering and the happiness of being together on a short but mighty walk. If I could sweep them up in my arms and have healing rain down on them, I would. If I could call for all the miracles in the world to find their way to this tiny road, I’d do it.
Instead, I did the small thing I could do, I tried to bring a little more light to that moment. I was simply present and assumed the spirit in our being together would do the rest.
Walking with one another felt like hope. Hope in each step. Hope as we once again saw the blessings in the trees that didn’t harm any of us when they fell, hope in the birds that continued their racket, hope in the baby deer that leaped away as we passed by.
Life steps forward and it felt right to be in that together.
And so, it was a miracle of sorts, that at that moment, a man in a yellow hard hat strolled up our street staring at our power lines.
“You’ll be up in a few,” he said.
We laughed. No way.
But he wasn’t kidding. They switched the breaker and we had power!
We stood in the middle of our road and watched light bounce from our homes. We listened as the generators slowly wound down. We breathed a sigh of relief.
The new burst of light seemed to multiply simply because we were with one another. The fact that we got to experience the high of a small win together, was nothing short of a miracle to me. Not because we had power, but because light brings hope. And that’s what it felt like standing in the middle of the road…hope.
We stood together in the darkness while someone flipped a switch. Hope.
It was a reminder to me of how much we need to be together in the midst of the dark times. Maybe we walk forward. Maybe we stand still while we wait for the switch to be turned on and light to break into the darkness. Maybe we are the ones to throw that breaker for someone else. Whatever it is, it’s not a one-person job.
So, here’s my challenge for us…. Who needs us to walk a few steps with them? Who needs us to stand in the darkness and simply be present? Who needs us to bring some light?
Let’s be present for each other today!