Into the Fire

On a Tuesday in April of 2022, we left the house as usual for our weekly get-together/co-op. We left things as we typically do and planned to have a fun day with friends that would include looking at moon rocks at the university in town. We noticed huge billows of smoke while going toward the university. Our area is so dry and we often have high winds. I thought it was likely a field on fire. As we were wrapping up the moon rocks lesson, I learned that the fire was less than a mile from my house and that our home and my husband’s workplace at the time were both in the “voluntary evacuation” zone.

When we left home, we were prepared only to be gone for part of the day. We were not prepared for any “worst-case scenario.” As I drove through the detours and even through a section I shouldn’t have, several thoughts ran through my head. As I comforted my children, I prayed. We have insurance so I was not worried about most “things” in the house. I only wanted to save things that I couldn’t replace. Handmade quilts from my grandmother, the scrapbooks she put together, and whatever we could quickly pack for a couple of days away. 

We drove through heavy smoke and blowing dirt (the wind was near 60mph that day). However, by the time we reached our block, the smoke was much less. The wind was blowing away from our home. We watered the yards, gathered things up, and stayed watchful for more news. We waited it out, praying for the firefighters and people closer to the fires. We talked about how amazing our God is – He tells the winds to stop and they listen. He opens the sky and gives rain. We prayed for both. 

Our most recent severe dirt storm brought this memory back to the front of my mind. I do not doubt God’s provision or protection. Sometimes I don’t think the weather or elements are listening.

All joking aside, when we’re thrown into a fire, we have two choices. We can be refined or destroyed. We can let the fires and storms of life siphon off the things that do us harm OR we can let them take over completely. In Isaiah 43:2 (NLT), God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”

We have HOPE, no matter what we face, when our hope rests in His Power!