One loud snap moved me from sympathetic to empathetic. – SCN Encourager

The last two days have been wild.

I should’ve known.

I never should’ve joked about my lack of handyman skills on Friday.

Because early Friday night… ka-boom!

My inadequacy hit its low point as a huge section of a gigantic old tree in our back yard crashed down onto the roof of our house.

There was no warning.
No shouts of “timber!”
No nothing.

Just a heart-stopping, earthquake-like reverberation.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

There was only property damage.

But boy, God sure has a sense of humor.

I never should’ve joked about roofing materials, either.

This opened the door wide for Him to double-down with another dose of irony.

But that was okay.

I needed the reminder.

Recently I’ve heard several school leaders living in mid-Michigan describe their challenges with heavy rains, washed out bridges, and powerful wind sheers.

I listened sympathetically.

And that was about the extent of it.

But then when that calamity hit me personally –

I now see things in a different light.

I have much better understanding about the hardships they endured.

Of course, I’m also grateful for my homeowner’s insurance as well.

Having a clear process to follow always makes things go easier.

When I referenced God’s sense of humor – thinking it was somewhat funny myself – Cindy didn’t crack a smile.

“Why’d God pull me into a lesson He meant for you?” she poked.

“I don’t know,” I speculated. “Maybe he knows I’m leaving Sunday for my NSPRA conference in San Antonio and He wants you to practice filling out insurance forms and scheduling the tree and roofing contractors.”

Uh, oh.

That response didn’t help my cause any.

“I can’t believe this happened now,” she said. “Since you’re about to leave for Texas – I hope you can have fun.”

I’m pretty sure she was being sarcastic.

So I texted a few photos of San Antonio back to her after I check into my hotel just to make sure.

She had sent me photos of the tree clean-up and our temporary roof repair earlier, so I thought why not?

Surprisingly, she enjoyed seeing them.

When we talked on the phone later she also said she really wanted me to have a great time at the conference.

But her voice sounded awfully tired.

Sunday must’ve been an incredibly long day.

When we wrapped up our call, I joked again about God sending me a message and I was happy He pulled her into my fray.

She joked back that she was going to tell God a thing or two in her prayers.

And I have no doubt she will!

But now I’m wondering if I should warn Him to try and get back on His good side.

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