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 60 mph 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!

God knows each part of our story. Nothing is hidden from Him. He wants to walk with us in life’s joys and sorrows. He longs to pull us out of the darkness when we’re struggling.

UNSEEN is one of the dramatic performances my daughter’s ballet company does every few years. This story goes “behind the scenes” of two families. One couple faces devastating loss, going through overwhelming grief and depression. One couple watches their child struggle with addiction, fearing for her life and feeling hopeless. Each family is given a gift as the veil lifts, and they see into the unseen world.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”

“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”

And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

(2 Kings 6:15–17)

The darkness pulls at us. The sin that easily entangles refuses to give up the fight. In order to take the hand of the Savior, we must let go of our sins. We have to trust that God is strong enough to break the chains, carry us to safety, and heal the pain.

Seeing the way out can be the greatest challenge of all. God promises to provide one (1 Corinthians 10:13), but action is required. Perhaps we should begin by praying for our eyes to be opened.

Lesson 1: Be Present

My grandmother was present for every major milestone in my life. My baptism, my high school, college, and grad school graduations, my wedding, and the birth of my firstborn. She told me that my babies were really hers, but she would let me raise them. I think she probably said this to all her grandkids and even her own children. She let me know that I was doing an amazing job, and these words always came at the right time.

Lesson 2: Search the Scriptures

My grandmother did not “grow up in the church.” At some point, she went to VBS and was given a little Bible. She searched the Scriptures and went to every congregation in town seeking the Truth. She knew what the Bible said, but every place she went, she knew something was missing. She met my grandfather when they were sixteen. She was dating his friend at the time, but he decided that wouldn’t do. When they began dating, she went to church with him and his family and finally found that missing piece.

One Wednesday night, my grandfather had to work, but my grandmother went to services and was baptized for the forgiveness of sins. She didn’t do this for him or his parents—her only audience was the Creator and Savior. She lived her faith every day of her life. She continued to read and study her Bible. She taught her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren through both words and actions.

Lesson 3: Be Hospitable

My grandmother could crochet, cross-stitch, and sew. She made numerous baby afghans and quilts. One of her cross-stitch projects was a parliament of owls with the caption, “There’s always room for one more.” At the time, there were seven grandchildren, so the picture has two big owls and seven various-sized smaller ones. About a year and a half after hanging it, two more grandkids had been added.

This sentiment didn’t only apply to grandkids, though. Everyone was welcome at my grandmother’s house. On more than one occasion, my dad’s brothers and sister would come to family events. My uncle’s mother spent several holidays with us after she moved in with my aunt and uncle due to Alzheimer’s. All our friends growing up were welcome. She started this with her own children, who often brought home “extras” or strays for the holidays. She taught hospitality by living it.

Lesson 4: Be Diligent in Your Faith

We never had to wonder what my grandmother thought about anything. She shared her pride as well as disappointment. She encouraged and supported us and prayed for us daily.

My grandmother knew hardship. Her family was poor, and she remembered times when food was scarce. She knew how to fend for herself and do what needed to be done without being asked. She made a choice to walk with Christ and didn’t look back. She looked for ways to reach up to God for answers and then reached out to others with all she could offer.

Lesson 5: Family Matters

During Peter’s first deployment, we lived in Colorado Springs. I was pregnant with Dietrich, and we decided I should stay with my parents for the last trimester. A lot of things happened during that time, the biggest of which was that my dad was diagnosed with and treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (now in full remission).

My grandmother came for his first treatment and at least one other to stay with me, “just in case.” She was there when my baby boy was born. She rode back to Colorado Springs with me when Dietrich was three months old and flew back home, just so I wouldn’t have to make the trip alone. She also came to the funerals of my “other grandparents” to show her love and support for my dad. When someone married into the family, she completely adopted them as her own.

Lesson 6: Be Spontaneous

My grandparents took many trips over the years; sometimes they would just get in the car and go. During the summers of my college years and while I went to graduate school, I lived with my grandparents and worked at my grandfather’s company. One of those years, I attended a quilt class with her. Each month, we made a new block, and by the end of the year, we had a quilt. I made all the blocks, and she finished the quilt.

She surprised me with both a visit and the finished quilt on my birthday in 2011. The last “surprise” visit was in April 2016, before her back surgery, which didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

Lesson 7: Keep Working until You Are Not Able

After her back surgery (and subsequent surgeries to fix what didn’t go right), she still worked on her quilts and scrapbooks, though it became a little less at a time. She finished all the grandkids’ books and was working through the great-grands when she couldn’t do anymore, sometime last year.

When I say scrapbooking, I don’t mean putting pictures in an album with a few names and dates. Our lives and family history are thoroughly documented in these books. (I have five.) She took great care to know what was going on in our lives, showed interest in our activities, and knew our friends’ names. She loved our friends because we did. She offered wisdom from the Bible, insight from experience, and unwavering support. Her prayers never faltered. Even when she was in great pain, she held on to her Hope.

I am deeply sad because Grandmama’s presence in my life was so big. I am immeasurably grateful for the many years and memories and that my children knew her so well. I am angry that the events of 2020 stole valuable time from us. I am relieved that she is free from pain and suffering. Yet more than all those feelings, I am overwhelmed by the example of God’s love that she poured out every day of her life. Her legacy is one that clings to Hope, always reaching up to the Father and out to His people.

Years later, while living in Colorado Springs, our preacher called us to “man the lifeboats!” He referenced the hymn, Let the Lower Lights Be Burning and talked about how Christians are a beacon of hope for the lost. The illustration stuck with me.

Over the years, through seasons of loss, transition, uncertainty, and change, I’ve learned more about what it means to be a consistent light to others.

Some days, I keep others from being pulled under the waves. On other days, someone throws me a life preserver and moves me to safer waters.

One of the hardest seasons of my life taught me even more about the importance of lifeboats.

In Exodus 17, we read of battle. While Moses kept his arms raised, Israel prevailed. If his arms fell, the Israelites also “drooped.” Aaron and Hur each took an arm and held them steady. I watched that picture come to life as people held up those who were grieving. Others held up the people doing the holding. Sometimes we man the lifeboats. Sometimes we are the ones who need to be pulled aboard.

As we go, we hope to get as many people into the lifeboats as we can. We pray that we are a light to those grasping in darkness. We strive to make waves instead of ripples in the lives we touch. We want to make Heaven crowded.