The Maui wildfires are the deadliest in the U.S. in over 100 years.
- 2200 structures burned
- 115 found dead so far
- 850 remain missing
If you lost everything in a wildfire, could you survive?
“You ever seen hell in the movies? That is what it looked like. Fire everywhere. Dead people.” Kekoa Lansford, Lahaina resident
Three parachutes allow anyone to survive the worst disasters. Not avoid, but survive.
Parachute 1: Wildfires test foundation
Few things are more valuable in life than a central reference point, a commanding center you clutch in a disaster.
That’s the first thing Navy pilots learn.
Focus on a commanding center and don’t freak out.
They learn this in “Dunker” flight training.
- Strap into the Dunker, hands and feet tied
- Thrust upside down into water
- Escape before drowning
Find and hold onto something that sustains in the blast.
Then, regroup, and take the next tiny step.
My center point is God. Psalm 23.
The power in Psalm 23 is the personal pronouns.
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I believe God inspired David to use 17 first person pronouns in Psalm 23.
- Savor it
- Meditate on it
- Claim it for your center
My uncle insisted Psalm 23 saved him on his 330-day march to Berlin in WWII.
That’s why he inscribed Psalm 23 on his tombstone.
“God does not die when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illuminated by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.” Dag Hammarskjold
Parachute #2: Wait till the craziness stops
Pausing, even for a few seconds, and adjusting to sudden and violent events is the difference between death and survival.
Navy pilots are taught to survive by waiting for the worst to stop.
This helps me in the mind-numbing intros of a new crisis.
There are times when moving too fast triggers a booby trap.
Yes, its smart to move ahead when signs appear.
But, sometimes the storm takes over and its wise to wait out the worst.
Even misfortune gets tired and needs a break.
Take a break with it.
Brief pauses bring clarity for the next step.
“I have accepted fear as a part of life, specifically the fear of change . . . I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back . . .” Erica Jong
Parachute #3: Accept the new normal
Wildfires remind us that normal is fleeting. Normal is the intermission between storms.
Survivors accept that life may not ever return the way it used to be.
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
That’s why they choose a central reference point for . . .
- stamina
- stability
- strength
. . . long before the wildfires strike again.
At 68, I’ve learned that the old normal is constantly being replaced with the new normal.
Choose your center carefully.
One that can deliver from wildfires.
Thanks for highlighting the first person pronouns in Psalms 23 in blue. I’ve never read it the way I did today. Definitely worth committing to memory.
My uncle would (mentioned in this post) quote Psalm 23 often when I was a kid. I never knew why then. I do now. In WWII, he cited Psalm 23 for 330 days fighting through France, Belgium and Germany with the 35th Infantry Division of the 134th Regiment. Now, his testimony of faith grows on me every day. Thanks Rita.
Steve – Such a meaningful post… thanks
Appreciate that Jeff.