A Fire. A Journal. A Blessing

A few days ago, my daughter sent me this text message: “Do you know when the fire in our home was?” Of course, she could ask me that because she knows about my daily journal writing. It’s a routine that I’ve been quite consistent with for decades. I write about significant details of my day, notable happenings of my family and little nuggets from God in our time together during my devotions. Staci was asking that question because a couple who was at their church the next Sunday after the fire and heard their “victory” testimony of God’s amazing grace, asked for the date. It was a pivotal story for that couple. It touched their lives so much that they starting looking at life differently – with gratitude in the midst of chaos and disappointment.

On this day, when Staci asked about that specific horrific, yet victorious day, I was able to go right to my 2002 journal because I remembered it was when Payton was two years old and Alexia was 9 months old. We received the call that their garage and home in Prosper, TX were on fire. It was a 4-alarm fire caused by a squirrel eating through electrical wires and when they switched on their lights, it ignited the fire. Their home was unliveable because of so major damage.

We lived in Tulsa and we headed right out to retrieve the little ones. My husband and I kept them for two months while the home was being restored. That, of itself, made many pages in my journal! Over and over I’d comment how exhausted we were at the end of each day, but most precious to me were the words I wrote about how helpful Ron (Papa) was with the kiddos. It made me love him even more. One of these days – I’ll just sit, reminisce and re-read all my entries – but there’s no sitting for this gal right now. Too much to do and accomplish before “sitting days” set in!

Here’s the blessings that came out of what could have been a tragic day of monumental proportions. No one suffered physical harm. They were able to retrieve important original music and speaking tracks from Staci’s recordings, Larry’s college rings, Staci’s jewelry, her scrap books and treasured pictures. They ended up getting enough back from their insurance to do some major remodeling in the home that they had been wanting to do. Things that mattered were saved and other things were replaceable.

But here is the ultimate, best news. People were watching them and how they handled a crisis. God gave Staci a song as she sat on the curb while watching her home burning. She experienced the peace of God that passed understanding. I called her and asked her to give me those words for this blog and she sang them to me. With holy chills, I share them with you of what peace looks like in the midst of a fire or any storm:

“Thanks for the joy that You’ve given to me.
Thanks for Your love -- unconditionally.
Oh, thanks for peace in the midst of the storms.
Lord, I thank you. I thank you.
Because, You’ve been faithful, faithful to me.
Lord, You’re faithful. Your mercies I see.
And when I look back on my life,
The message is clear, You’ve been so faithful to me.”

People are watching us every day. What do we look and act like in times of crisis? How do we live our faith out loud? How do we display our faith and character when we’re pinned up against a wall? Who do we turn to in times of tribulation? I don’t know about you – but I like to think that I go to the Rock of my salvation. When all the earth around me is sinking sand, on Christ the solid Rock I stand. When I need a shelter; when I need a friend – I go to the Rock! I just couldn’t help myself. I broke into song when I was typing this! God is faithful and as we stay faith-FULL in the ups and downs of our lives – may we find the blessings in the midst of the fires, the storms, the winds and the waves -- because -- God is faithful!

Don't Give Up!

This precious, quiet, unassuming, yet amazingly talented woman is representative of what God does when it seems all hope is gone. A couple of years ago, her husband of 40+ years passed away after a long battle of cancer. As if that weren't enough to cause her to go the way of depression, sadness, mourning and dismay, just a couple of months later, her home in Mannford, OK burned to the ground, leaving her homeless, her quilting business destroyed and certain desire to give up.

What DOES someone do at times like that? Quit? Throw in the towel and be done with it all? Go to a place of retreat and hope that it's just a bad dream? Not on your life. This gal, Freda Gordon, did what I saw on a sign in her home yesterday. She turned the mess to a message, the test into a testimony, the trial into a triumph, and rather than being a victim.....she became a victor.

I took these photos at her home a couple of days ago. They are of this warrior woman who, not only started over from scratch, but was able to have her new home built, and now her quilting business is booming again. She has risen from the ashes and, if you could just know her, you'd see how she has replaced her garments of heaviness for garments of praise, joy and determination. She opened her quilt closet, and I saw many, many beautiful, handmade pieces of art that she handcrafted.

Doesn't that make us believe.....that whatever we're going through today -- that it's just temporary? Let's don't give up. Let's don't give in. Our mess, too, will be our testimony.....and our defining moment of the storm turning into a magnificent rainbow!