Disaster Response Ministry: When Blue Skies Turn Gray

 

Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator

In emergency management circles, references are often made about an organization’s status in “blue skies” and “gray skies.” The term “blue skies” refers to how that organization conducts its normal, day-to-day operations without the direct threat of an emergency or disaster. Those operations involve building and maintaining capabilities for when disasters, or “gray skies,” strike. In carrying out their responsibilities, emergency managers utilize a four-phase model to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. The phases include mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.


Mitigation involves taking steps to avoid or minimize the cause and consequences of disasters. Preparedness involves planning and training for those things that are not able to be mitigated. The response phase takes place immediately after the disaster occurs and focuses on the personal safety and wellbeing of those in the community. The duration of the response and its effectiveness is directly related to the amount of mitigation and preparation that has occurred. And, in the recovery phase, efforts are made to restore our lives and communities. The important thing to keep in mind about this cycle is that it is never ending and communities are always involved in at least one of the phases.

Similarly, we all experience the “blue skies” and “gray skies” of life. Just as natural disasters impact our communities; personal disasters can have a negative effect on our lives. 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Like the emergency manager, we can implement a spiritual four-phase model—to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover—to develop our spiritual maturity and find …the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, [that] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Using spiritual emergency management, we can take the mitigation steps necessary to remove the causes and consequences of disaster from our lives. For those things that we cannot mitigate, we turn to prayer and Scripture to prepare us. And, when we find ourselves suffering in the middle of a crisis, we respond and recover by focusing on Christ.

1 Peter 4:12–13 tells us we should not be surprised by the ordeals we face and encourages us to rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. God will use the trials we face to cultivate our character and grow our ministry. And, in turn, we can minister to others during their “gray skies.”

Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator
717-766-7441, ext. 3402
drc@susumc.org

Website: www.susmb.org
Facebook: @SUSDisasterResponse
Twitter: @UMCDisResp
Disaster Response Ministry Blog:  susdisasterresponse.blogspot.com/

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