NEW GLASGOW, N.S. — The Rotary motto, Service above Self as mentioned in my title best explains the contributions of so many people who gave exceptional service helping others during the recent Hurricane Dorian. The Bible sets the standard of such behaviour coming from Christ himself “who gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
While the hurricane which swept through our county on Saturday did considerable damage to our infrastructure in the loss of power for so many people due to fallen trees, heavy winds and storm surges along the coast, yet no loss of life occurred. Neighbors reached out to one another to give a helping hand, power crews worked tirelessly for long hours to restore power; emergency personnel-fire, police and ambulance services never took a break all through the storm and its aftermath.
This exemplary service above self was evident in the outreach extended to those who needed help. I would like to characterize it as faith in action. The indomitable human spirit to reach out with acts of mercy to help those in times of disasters was so evident in our Pictou County!
While I talked to many people to hear their stories, I noticed their faith in God to look after them never wavered as their own troubles mounted. Two such examples I would like to share in this column will show such faith in action. James the apostle speaking of faith said: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead, and faith without deeds is dead.”(James 2:17, 26)
Sunday morning we drove to Burger King in New Glasgow for breakfast. We were cold, hungry and without power at home. Along the way we passed many lanes blocked with traffic waiting to get in to those few Tim Horton outlets that were open. Arriving at our destination, we saw many lined up waiting to order their food and the drive thru was also packed. All during the long time it took to prepare those breakfasts, the few staff never flinched in their devotion to their customers. The staff deserved many kudos of praise for being so patient and caring while being overwhelmed with the need. They could have simply closed down but gave service above self.
The second story I heard from my friend Leo, the barber and his wife Sue. They recently moved to MacLellan’s Brook from Halifax. They are people of faith who believe that God is always there for them to help them in times of trouble. Late on Saturday night Sue went to the shed to shut off the generator before retiring to bed. The two small sheds are very close to their home and are centered between tall spruce trees. What happened next could have resulted in her death and the loss of their home.
There was an explosion that suddenly occurred and Sue started screaming. Her neighbour Joyce heard her and immediately responded by calling 911 as did many neighbours along their road. At this particular time the winds had suddenly died down, the eye of the hurricane was directly overhead so the flames shot straight into the air. Up to the time of the explosion the winds had been very heavy but now the calm had settled. The Thorburn Fire department quickly arrived at the scene and the house was saved, although the siding melted and the two sheds were lost.
Was it a coincident that the eye of the storm passed over Leo and Sue’s home at that very time of the explosion? Thanks to the quick action of the neighbours Sue and Leo were safe. What if the winds had not subsided and the flames were blown toward Sue? Their faith in God and those who reached out in an extraordinary manner prevented a much worse tragedy from happening. There is a line of a much loved gospel song that implores the Lord to “keep me safe ‘till the storm passes by.”
1 Corinthians 12:5 reminds us that “there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” The effects of the storm are still with us and many will not have their power restored until five days after the hurricane. Continue to reach out beyond yourself to show God’s love to those in their time of need.
Fred Jeffery, is a member of the Salvation Army, living in Hopewell
