Control the Chaos

Another day, another tornado siren. That’s the fourth one this Spring, the third one in the last week. Thankfully, these last three haven’t been as devastating as the first. I couldn’t imagine if the four storms had all wreaked equal levels of havoc.

?Tuesday night, an EF-4 tornado tore its way through Greenfield, Iowa striking Adair County Memorial Hospital. The chaos that ensued when the hospital was struck must have been overwhelming! How were they to ensure the safety of their own patients and staff while swiftly providing aid to the injured from the area? Still, patients poured in. There was no time to freeze in the face of chaos. They had to act, to respond to the crisis at hand.

?Life is full of crises. Hopefully none as severe as what happened in Greenfield, but chaos is inevitable. As an organization, The Rhino Group, Inc. has adopted as our values Character, Responsiveness, Advancement, Servanthood, and Heart (the acronym CRASH). Note the value of responsiveness, which we define as “controlling the chaos.” Just exactly how does one do so?

?First, you’ve got to show up. ?So far this year, there have been over 700 confirmed twisters in the United States. On April 26th, one of those struck Elkhorn, Nebraska, just six blocks from my home. The next day, the community showed up to the damage-stricken community. Over the ensuing weeks, thousands of people showed up lending hands, equipment, and time to bring order out of chaos. If you want to control chaos in your job, in your home, in your life, it begins by showing up.

?Second, you’ve got to have plans worked out in advance. I’ve never seen Adair County Memorial’s emergency response plans. I can only imagine they must be extensive. I also suspect that few, if any, were looking for them after the tornado struck. They didn’t have time. They had to respond instinctively. There was no time to brush up, they had to act.? I suspect teams had rehearsed in advance what to do. They practiced mock drills to ensure everybody knew what to do and when to do it so that if the time came, and the time did come, that they would know what to do when disaster struck. If you want to keep from getting overwhelmed amid chaos, you’ve got to make plans well in advance of the chaos.

?Do you find that your life is filled with chaos? Learn to plan for chaos.? If you plan for the chaos that is bound to come, you’ll be able to adapt and to react. That chaos may be a catastrophe, or it might be as simple as an unexpected visit from the in-laws. Yes, make your plan and work your plan, but leave a little room in your plan for chaos so you can respond when it arrives.? Planning for chaos requires brainstorming. Identify the potential threats that might come and brainstorm the solutions for those threats.

?Finally, keep moving forward. As Rocky Balboa once said, “Life is not about how hard you can hit, but how much you can get hit and still keep moving forward.” It’s easy to grow weary in the face of chaos. Inevitably, it feels like you take a step forward and get knocked back two but keep moving forward. The families whose homes have been devastated have a long road in front of them. Recovery will not happen overnight. They’ve got to keep moving forward, step by step, blow by blow.

Might I add for those of you with a faith persuasion like myself, don't forget that it is Jesus Christ who gives peace in the midst of the storm. He is the anchor for our souls when things get rough. In the midst of the chaos, keep your eyes on Him. Here's a great song for those times you're in the storm: https://youtu.be/-sx8wTnnfSc?si=H_JfvU-NVfTRrg_j