Letter from the President March 2021

An Ice Storm, Devastation, and Renewal

We struggled to be ready. Plants and water pipes were wrapped with care. A last-minute trip to the

grocery for bread, bottled water, and propane tank refills. The temperature dropped to as low as 6o

Fahrenheit in parts of Bayou City, and stayed there for two days.

Then, we lost electrical power and running water. We put on layers of clothing and brought out flashlights

and searched for batteries. We boiled water to drink. Those who had natural gas warmed hands around the

fireplace or stove. Many without heat chose to sleep in the family car with engine running to keep warm.

Some died from the cold or from carbon monoxide intoxication.

As the temperature warmed, we watched as the leaves on our plants turned from green to yellow, and then

to brown before falling to the ground. Our beautiful city appeared to have died, never to return.

But, that is not true. Horticulturalists say most of our plants have survived and, in a few weeks, they will

begin to put out green buds again. Water pipes that were broken will be repaired. Water that we once

boiled for safety, became drinkable again.

Life returned, and we remembered again that the COVID-19 virus is still about and mutating as time

passes. So, with masks and distance, we stand in long lines to receive our vaccinations. Gratefully.

A week later, at our Institute’s 65th anniversary Caring Heart

Celebration we recognized frontline workers for their service

throughout the past year – doctors, nurses, healthcare workers,

teachers, police, fire fighters, grocery store workers,

hospitality and restaurant owners. Each group received a

beautiful red heart and expressed their gratitude in video-

recorded messages.

An auction followed the Caring Heart Celebration. People bid

feverishly on items. Each bid for jewelry, golf lessons, or a

dinner at the home of Bob and Louise Parsley attested to the

fact that life had returned, and we were now ready to support

the Institute for Spirituality and Health and its ministry.

Renewal is a part of life. It happens when power and running water returns to a home. It happens when

flowers bud and bloom in the spring. Renewal can be found on the therapist’s couch, in a house of faith,

or in the arms of a loved one who grants forgiveness. The promise of God is always, “I will give you a

new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Ice storms and hurricanes will come again, but there is always renewal on the horizon.

John K. Graham, MD, DMin

President & CEO

Institute for Spirituality and Health