Pushing Through It

by Clay Stauffer

February 03, 2026

Everybody is doing the best they can to recover from this devastating ice storm. We still have many members of our church without power after 10 days! The church boiler was badly damaged by the storm and will most likely need to be replaced. This is what heats the sanctuary, gym, gathering hall, and a number of classrooms. We will have worship this Sunday morning, Feb 8, and will send out the schedule later in the week. Services may have to be in the chapel. Please stay tuned! I am grateful to everybody who opened up the church this past weekend for family to come and be together.

We have seen a lot of good this week. Friends and family welcome each other into their homes. Neighbors check on neighbors. Shelters open up and people become concerned for one another. NES line workers pulling all night shifts. It seems like it always takes the storms and calamities of life to bring people together. Why is that? Perhaps it’s because we realize that we are all in this together and making it the best we can. Natural disasters don’t discriminate. At the same time, these situations evoke frustration, anger, and impatience. Why is it taking so long to fix this? What is going on? Whose fault is it? Stress can wear on anybody.

Human beings are complicated creatures and have various motivations. In times of crisis, our natural response is to first care for ourselves and our families. Once this is covered, we then shift to checking on the people around us. If you are unsettled and forced out of your home for multiple days, going to either a friend’s house or a hotel, you feel disoriented. It can be hard to check on others when your own situation feels unsettled and chaotic. This is the ongoing human dilemma – self-care balanced with the care of others. Jesus said, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” This implies that we must love and care for ourselves in a healthy way before we can love others. People who have low self-respect will have a hard time loving others. Hurting people always seem to hurt others. This is a timeless truth that becomes a vicious cycle.

On Sunday, I shared some lessons to keep in mind as we continue to emerge from this natural disaster. First, remember we will get through it. We always do. This too shall pass. Second, recovery from this will take significant time. Many homes and businesses are significantly damaged. Many trees are gone. Thousands still don’t have power and it’s below freezing outside. Debris and limbs will be piled up on the streets for weeks. Third, Christian people always have a responsibility to look out for others. We must check on our neighbors, family, and friends to see how they are doing. We should ask how we can help them. We will only get through this working together. Fourth, let this situation be a reminder that we tend to take so many blessings in life for granted like heat, warm water, a roof over our head, and food on the table. This type of crisis truly puts all that into perspective. We should all become more aware and grateful for these basic blessings that we can be guilty of overlooking. Lastly, once we get through this difficult period, let’s remember to be there for other communities in their time of need. This will certainly not be the last natural disaster. Others will need our help in the future.

Life is fragile. It can change overnight with one storm. Let’s help each other get through this and press forward.