The air around my house is smoke-filled; the acrid smell so strong, it woke me up at 4:30 this morning. I rushed to the door to see if the fires had come to us. Gratefully, we are not among the victims.
Right now, Texas is on fire. The merciless drought and the high winds have culminated in devastation. I am watching the stories of terrible loss, grown men crying, but looking ahead to re-build. Bastrop, TX looks like a war-zone.
My heart hurts for those who have lost everything. I pray for their families. There have not been any reports of deaths, which is a blessing.
I remember a couple, in our church back in the eighties, who returned home from a trip to see their house in ashes on the ground, and fire-fighters finishing their work. As they stood there holding each other, all they could say was, “We are so grateful we still have each other.” They had lived in that place for their entire married life, over 30 years. Every photo, every memento, gone, but they were able to comprehend, in that moment, what truly mattered to them, their love for each other.
I have never forgotten that night. It gives me hope for those suffering right now. I pray that they will be fortified with hope and the outpouring of love and help from the community.
Watching these terrifying events unfold has had me reflecting on the words of Paul in
1Corinthians 3:10-15:
"According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it.11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- 13 each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." RSV
It is difficult to imagine the devastation that can be left by fire until you see it in reality. When it utterly destroys a building, the only things that remain are the foundation (if it was properly built), those things that were fireproof, and the Human parts that make the home: the love, the memories, the people.
As I am searching my heart today, I am asking the Lord to reveal to me anything that I am building that is not fireproof. I am asking that He teaches me how to properly construct every detail of my life and ministry, so that I only use the most precious stones and purest gold and silver. Basically, what I know to be true, for me, is people are all that really matter. Helping people to come to know and love their God, come to know and love themselves, and come to know and love others, is the greatest treasure in my life. If I lost everything else, it would be okay, as long as those remain.
