Lessons Forged Through the Flames (Part 3)

Written By: Brad Pedersen

Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing about my experiences from last summer and how massive wild fires raged through our region, eventually forcing the evacuation of our community.  I have been reflecting on this tumultuous moment and unpacking my lessons and learnings. If you want to get caught up on the story, you can read more HERE.

It is extremely disorienting and sobering to suddenly be forced to leave your home, not knowing if it will be there when you return. That is exactly how we felt when we pulled out of our driveway, giving our house one last look and leaving with only a few personal possessions packed in our vehicles. 

Along the route, we passed several fire trucks with the crews rolling out hoses in preparation to stand their ground against the approaching blaze. As we drove by, we said prayers of protection knowing that these brave souls would be the last line of defense for protecting our homes.

We were forced to evacuate but we were not really sure where to go. It seemed there was nowhere safe, as the entire region was under the threat of fires. But amongst the chaos, we had a great outpouring of support from both friends and family with many offering us a place to stay. 

In the end we decided to drive west towards the coast, believing that being by the Ocean, we would get some reprieve from the deluge of smoke.

We had been forced to take an unplanned and unwanted trip and it was unsettling. Who could blame us for feeling listless? This was not how we would start a typical travel adventure, leaving under the auspice of much anxiety and uncertainty. If or when we could return home was unknown and while we tried to remain hopeful, there was the ever-present thought that we might not have a home to return to.

What we did not expect was this "forced vacation" would become one of the highlights of our summer. 

As we traveled towards Vancouver, we decided to use this time to reconnect with people we had not seen in some time. Over the course of 10 days we shared incredible adventures, experiences and meals together. They were filled with tears, laughter and (now) new memories. Time with others helped us heal from the trauma while providing a pleasant distraction from the ambiguity of what was happening back home. 

As we discussed last week, the true blessings that enrich our lives are found in fostering close and meaningful connections with others. However, the value of those relationships is directly proportional to what we are willing to invest into them. What we value becomes valuable; and the greatest way to demonstrate what we value is by how we invest our time and attention.

While the reconnections were the highlight of the trip, there would be a bonus "mountain top moment" that would come close to the end (shortly after we learned that we would, in fact, be able to return home). 

We decided, for the final leg of our unplanned adventure, to head out to Vancouver island to visit some family members living there. Our first night on the island, we chose to stay at a hotel near Cowichan Bay, planning for a sea kayaking excursion the next day.

We set out early the next morning with a small group. Suddenly, after paddling for about an hour, we saw water spraying into the air just a few hundred meters away. This was followed by several other spouts; to our astonishment we had just spotted a pod of killer whales. 

We watched with fascination but kept our distance, recognizing that the mighty Orca is the apex predator. As we followed the whales, we paddled into the mouth of an inlet and they seemingly disappeared. We paused and waited when suddenly they reemerged, only this time they were close by and coming straight towards us.

Over the next several minutes our hearts raced as a dozen of these incredible animals swam directly in front of and underneath us. They were so close that as they passed, the spray from their spouts covered us in a damp pungent mist. We sat there for some time completely awestruck by what had just happened. 

We had experienced an unexpected close encounter with one of the most magnificent mammals to ever roam our oceans. It was only when we returned back to the dock that we realized the magnitude of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Amazingly we did not go seeking this opportunity; it was a gift and was only made possible by the disruption that came as a result of being evacuated from our home. In this case the tragedy of fleeing from the wild fires would turn to our triumph of being the recipient's of this incredible experience.

In his book Man's Search for Meaning author Viktor Frankl states: 

It is a great challenge for all of us, that when we feel powerless by the external circumstances we face, ultimately we hold the key to unlocking our power.”  

It’s not that what happened doesn’t matter, but rather whether out of the tragedy we can still experience some triumph - and in the words of Frankl, that will be determined by how we choose to respond. 

Life is messy and will consistently throw us curve balls. The only time we will be problem free, is when we are 6 feet underground. Even then, with your passing, you will have indirectly created new problems which others will have to contend with.

When the wildfires threatened our home, we confronted the brutal fact that we might lose our most prized possession. We submitted to this reality by evacuating but maintained hope that as long as we had what was truly important (each other, our health, our family and our community) that we could start again. We chose to use the disruption not to wallow in our misery of potential loss but rather to go on an unplanned adventure. It became an opportunity to reconnect with others and resulted in a rare close encounter in the wild.

It has been said that God will often save you from what you want to give you what you need. 

We had made different plans and priorities for those 10 days that were suddenly and unexpectedly disrupted. However with our choices, we turned our adversity to our advantage and created lifetime memories that would have otherwise been missed and for which we now feel a deep sense of gratitude. 

As you think about the challenges you are currently facing, ask yourself the following questions to consider how you can turn your adversity to your advantage:

Within each challenge, what are 3 things within your control?

What character qualities/hidden blessings might you be acquiring as a result of this challenge?

With how you choose to respond, what would need to be true to turn the proverbial lemon into lemonade? 

Brad Pedersen

Vijay Krishnan

Andre Oliveira