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December, 2021
1st Responder Newspaper - NJ
Flexibility Chaplain's Corner Didymus McHugh
Most o f our lives we are taught to make plans for our fu ture. Sales people try to predict the sales o f a company, children and adults set their career goals. People plan on when they are going to have children or when they will have a house. We try to plan things and then tell God when we will do what and achieve what in our lives. We then start to learn what is truly in store for us. Life happens. We may not have enough money to obtain our goals or to help us. There may be health issues or other events that change the route that we have to take. You may be trying to go someplace that is important and there may be traffic or an acci dent. Why get mad? How is that going to change the situation? How flexible are you with what goes on in life? There are organizations that follow the way of Gum by. They teach that we need to be flexible. Their motto may be "hail Gum by" or "Sempre Gum by", while other organizations have the motto "Adapt and Overcome". Yes, as we are delivering service to clients, we also have to learn to be adaptable. We may not have the physical resources or the manpower, so we have to modify our delivery method or be diligent with each and every resource. People thought they had their life together and planned out and then they find out that they are going to have a child, or there is an unexpected jo b change, so they need to adjust. People plan on financial re ward o f getting a promotion or pay raise, but it does not happen so they have to adjust their spend ing. They may not be able to af ford the replacement vehicle that they desperately need. We also need to remember that being flexible is not all bad. If we stay completely rigid, we can get stressed out. Sometimes things just don't go our way. The Bible states that God works all things for His good. We need to remember that, believe that and hope that we can actually notice the good in things not going our way. Do you realize that the detour that you had to take or the traffic that you were in or the delay you had just saved your life? You missed being in an accident. Do you realize that the friend that
called you and wanted to have a cup o f coffee with you, that you changed your schedule for, they were thinking about taking their life? Think about somethings from long ago. Do you think that Mary planned on getting pregnant and being the mother o f Jesus? She was flexible. How do you think Joseph felt? He was flexible. He did not get rid of Mary and he raised her child, who name was Immanuel, God is with us. On their trip, an angel spoke to them to change their travel arrange ments. How many people that were called to work with Christ were to be flexible at that very m o ment? If we look at those that are called to serve, many change their lives immediately. The disciples changed their lives immediately and look what they ended up doing. They traveled and their lives were never the same again. Just look at the life o f emer gency responders. Their entire life is based on being flexible, even though their families cannot al ways figure it out. There are other occupations that require flexibility. Smart people plan for flexibility and they may leave to travel and leave extra time, just so that they can be flexible. There are people out there that want you to be flexible all the time, but they refuse to be flexible for a second. It is alright to be flex ible, but look at those people's hearts. If someone is telling you that you always have to be flexible but they refuse to be, maybe you may not want to be around them because maybe they are control ling. But be flexible, you never know where life will take you. You never know who you meet. You never know what good you will be performing. You never know who you may be saving. The Bible states in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I have found that when my day does not go as I expect, I trust in the Lord because He already knows the why and the outcome of the modifications to our day. Remember to be as flexible as a tree in the storm. The tree with deep roots will stand and the tree with shallow roots will topple over. We, who have deep roots will be flexible but never give up on who we really are and the belief system and morals that are deep within us.
BILL TOMPKINS - WWW.BTFIREPHOTOS.COM
Heavy Fire Destroys Home in Franklin Lakes FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ Franklin Lakes firefighters re ported “fire out every window”as they arrived at 711 Cheyenne Dr. on October 11th. FLFD units were dispatched shortly after 12:30 A.M. after re ceiving several reports o f a work ing fire. A second-alarm was transmitted, bringing additional units to the scene and more for back filling of firehouses. A ladder
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pipe, tower ladder, and multiple lines were put into operation, but the home was already starting to collapse. Within a half hour all that was left was part of the front wall, a chimney, and a pile of smoldering remnants. Two resi dents and their dogs were able to
escape before the arrival o f fire units. With no nearby exposures, there was no spread o f the fire and the blaze was placed under control at about 2:20 A.M. There were no reported injuries. Mutual aid from Wyckoff, Waldwick, Mahwah, North Haledon, and Oakland as sisted at the scene. - BILL TOMPKINS
WOMEN IN FIREFIGHTINIB I f you have photos you would like to see in our Women in Firefighting feature please upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
Stay safe, Didymus McHugh didymus-mchugh.com JOHN M. MALECKY
FF Recruit Christen Wilson is with the Franklinville Fire Company in Franklin Township, Gloucester County.
