Honestly evaluate the way you respond to crisis situations. Are you happy with the way you react?
My ability to handle a crisis situation goes back to my childhood. Rod's health was always in danger. Due to his hemophilia and the lack of his blood's ability to clot, a simple cut for most of us could turn into a serious bleed for him. Both my parents were extremely calm when something happened to Rod. At least they seemed calmed!
I remember one Tuesday night when Rod and I were teenagers. We had "Teen Time" at church, which was always a fun time. That particular night, we met at the church then split up. We girls went swimming at someone's house and they boys went to some lake/pond. When we met back up at the church, Rod told me he had stepped on something that cut through his shoe. I knew this was serious. Of course this was in the 70s so I had to use to church pay phone to call Mom to come get us. I remember being completely calm while relaying this message to her and saying, "You might want to hurry because Rod has a cut on his foot."
Other times of crisis come to mind - the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the weekend that Les was in a bike accident and the hill behind our house caught on fire, the false alarm in Hawaii that a ballistic missile was headed our way. Each of these times I was afraid and shaken, but I was able to keep calm.
The question this post should really ask is, "How can you react calmly in a crisis situation?" I'm not capable of handling a crisis on my own. But thankfully, I don't have to! Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."
Matthew Henry's commentary says, "Here is, 1. God's sufficiency for the saints: His name is a strong tower for them, in which they may take rest when they are weary and take sanctuary when they are pursued, where they may be lifted up above their enemies and fortified against them. There is enough in God, and in the discoveries which He has made of Himself to us, to make us easy at all times. The wealth laid up in this tower is enough to enrich them, to be a continual feast and a continuing treasure to them. The strength of this tower is enough to protect them; the name of the Lord is all that whereby He has made Himself known as God, and our God, not only His titles and attributes, but His covenant and all the promises of it; these make up a tower, a strong tower, impenetrable, impregnable, for all God's people. 2. The saints' security in God. It is a strong tower to those who know how to make use of it as such. The righteous, by faith and prayer, devotion towards God and dependence on Him, run into it, as their city of refuge. Having made sure their interest in God's name, they take the comfort and benefit of it; they go out of themselves, retire from the world, live above, dwell in God and God in them, and so they are safe, they think themselves so, and they shall find themselves so."
The Pulpit Commentary says this, "The Name of the Lord signifies all that God is in Himself—His attributes, His love, mercy, power, knowledge; which allow man to regard Him as a sure Refuge. The words bring before us a picture of a capitol, or central fortress, in which, at times of danger, the surrounding population could take refuge. Into this Name we Christians are baptized; and trusting in it, and doing the duties to which our profession calls, with faith and prayer, we are safe in the storms of life and the attacks of spiritual enemies. The righteous runneth into it (the tower), and is safe; literally, is set on high; he reaches a position where he in set above the trouble or the danger that besets him. Thus St. Peter, speaking of Christ, exclaims, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Prayer is the wall of faith, our arms and weapons against man who is always watching us. Therefore let us never go unarmed, night or day. From the greatness of his might is the Name of the Lord; and running unto it the righteous are exalted."
We don't have to be in control when a crisis happens. We have a place of refuge where we can run. Run!! Run to that safe place, the name above all names, Jesus!
