Spring is finally in the air and one of the spring activities is keeping an eye on the water level of the Kettle River.
I do not live by the river but my family does pasture cattle beside it and I am also concerned for friends who have homes by it.
Anyone following the news recently will have heard of rivers over flowing and flooding out homes – as I write, Southern Manitoba is flooding and sand bagging is occurring at a fevered pitch.
I remember back in the early ‘80s, I travelled in the springtime to Manitoba with my dad to visit family.
My dad took me to see the dam on the Red River that diverts water around Winnipeg through the floodway and also backs up the river to flood farmland upstream.
As we watched, the gates were activated and the water began to back up.
A previous year, a frustrated farmer had taken a pot shot at the glassed control room above the dam. Tensions can mount, as one area is sacrificially flooded to save another area.
This year, the overflowing Assiniboine River is giving planners another difficult year with difficult choices.
As I write, the plan is to breach a dike and let 150 homes potentially flood with the hope of saving 850 homes downstream.
I was listening to a radio interview of one who would have his home saved and how he struggled with someone else being forced to sacrifice their home; it is a heart-wrenching situation.
I would hate to be the one making the decision about breaching the dike and what came to mind is a scripture from the recent Easter season.
In John 11, the religious leaders were discussing what to do about Jesus, resulting in a plot to kill him.
Caiaphas the high priest spoke up, “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish,” (vs. 50, NIV). Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice and willingly laid down his life so that many others might live and be freed from the punishment of sin.
This self-sacrifice attitude is applaudable in anyone regardless of the size but what happens when a situation is forced upon you?
How would I like being the homeowner of the house to be flooded?
Maybe this is when the sacrifice required is the greatest.
There is a phrase, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
It is like Frodo in Lord of the Rings – he did not ask for his journey but he did make several decisions to follow it through.
I do pray that there is minimal flood damage in Manitoba and I also pray for wisdom, as decisions are being made that affects many people, and grace for those affected.
As we near our own high water season with the Kettle River, let me encourage us to have a prayer in hand and be willing to shovel sand too.
It gives another opportunity for communities to grow closer together as we watch out for our neighbours.
– Rick Steingard is Pastor at King of Kings Church in Midway