Blessed

In a New York Minute, Everything Can Change. – The Eagles

Last week several of us had a powerful reminder of just how quickly things can change. A car accident happened on one of our camp grounds, leaving a vehicle laying upside down in a ditch. All of the occupants crawled out, and while there were many scrapes and bruises, we quickly realized how blessed we were that no one was killed. We knew it could easily have been otherwise, and many prayers of gratitude were offered that night and in the days that followed.

The risk of sudden change was also brought home to me by the news stories of several children drowning in Ontario swimming pools. For the parents and families of those children, everything suddenly changed, and the world would never be the same again. While I did not know any of those who lost their lives, or their families, I had a very fresh picture in my mind of about 90 people happily swimming and playing in the brand new swimming pool at Ziontario. Each one had a great time, and thanks in part to the vigilance of the lifeguards, no accident occurred. Praise God!

In reflecting on these incidents, I thought of all the hours of work that went into getting ready for the reunion. First there was the careful planning by the reunion staff and the hours and hours of preparation. Second there were the months of hard work by the Ziontario board and others to build a pool and have it ready on time, plus make other improvements to the facilities. Third there were the many prayers that were offered for the blessing of that community.

All of this could not anticipate or avert a quick sequence of events or a series of spontaneous decisions that almost led to tragedy. Some things just can’t be planned for. Some events cannot be foreseen. Despite our best efforts, mistakes will still be made.

And yet, person after person on the grounds the next morning told me, “We were blessed; we were blessed.” And we were blessed. A crumpled van can be replaced; a person cannot.

As I reflect on this, I realize how important every aspect of this story is. It is important to plan and prepare. It is important to build and improve. And perhaps most important of all, it is important to pray. So let us continue to make careful preparations and plans, but let us also continue to pray. And when we know ourselves to be blessed, let us offer our prayers of gratitude. And when the event is over and the blessing counted, let us share that sacred story with others.

Posted by Carman