Crash and the Nightmare

I have just read this mornings' paper about the car that created mayhem in downtown Winnipeg yesterday. Can you imagine what it would have been like for those people who's life changed in a blink of an eye because someone else chose to act a certain way? Our lives can and do change in the blink of an eye and we forget this. One minute we can be walking across the street and the next - poof!- we are dead. Our loved ones have to deal with the nightmare that comes next. People's lives changed in a blink.

Doing the CPE thing has made me more cognizant that the line between life and death is often just a blink. It amazes me that at one instant you can be living and the next you are not. No fanfare, no fireworks, nothing except a holy moment. But death can also be visceral, earthy and bloody like the deaths that happened yesterday in downtown Winnipeg. Where is God in all of this? Does God care about the suffering of people? Why doesn't God do something? My instant response is God does care, God is here and God does help us.
Jesus was with the disciples in the boat as it was tossed about on the lake (Mark 3:1-4). It was a nightmare for them. They were scared and wanted Jesus to do something to help them. The disciples trusted that Jesus would calm the storm that was happening in their life. Jesus does the same for us. When the unexpected storms rise up out of nowhere Jesus says "peace be still". The promise is that Jesus is with us in our storms. He does not abandon ship but stays with us to help us weather the storms. Jesus brings us peace, calmness because we are cared for.
My prayer is for the families of the victims of yesterday's crash - all of them not just those who died, even for those who caused the crash and my prayer is for all of us who are experiencing our own storms and nightmares that we may be reminded that Jesus is with us calming the stormy seas and the winds that toss us about.
"Peace be still".

I will try this again

Yes, I realize that it is nearly 6 months since my last post. Incredible isn't it? I must be the worst blogger ever. But hey, I need to be good at something eh?

I cannot believe that I am half way through my training towards becoming a pastor. It seems only yesterday I was leaving to begin my studies. I am constantly amazed by this journey. Right now I am finishing up my CPE training at the Victoria General here in Winnipeg. What an amazing experience this has been. All the horror stories I have heard about CPE have been grossly overstated. I have found it to be a truly rewarding and growing time. My supervisor calls me an adrenaline junkie - Heh heh!

At this time of year there are many invitations to the seniors ordinations as they receive calls to serve in parishes...it leaves me wondering where Alan and I will be when I finish in 2010. Isn't that something 2010! Seems like such a weird number and sooooo far away. but it will be here sooner than we know it.

I will try and keep up with this blog for the next 2 weeks. Lets see how I do with that shall we? Talk to you soon.