Recently, I saw one of those social media pictures designed to make you laugh, and to think. It was a glass depicted as half full. The caption labeled the bottom half as full of water and the top half as full of air. The entire glass was "full" of something! Wow, even things that appear empty never are.
I decided to apply this to our recent fire. For those who are not aware, a storm blew through town June 27. This storm brought with it high winds and flooding in many areas. It brought us a downed power line, very much full of current, torching our shed and our maple tree. Our home does not have a garage or basement so you can imagine all of the items we lost. It was leveled. We have insurance. Stuff can be replaced.
Too many people would see this experience as a glass half empty - maybe even totally empty. I cannot see it that way. It's not a miracle that our home, and that of our neighbors', was spared. A very capable fire department was here. God was here. His hand was in this. He sent me a sign.
As the rain poured down, we stood helpless and watched 18 years of sporting equipment, lawn equipment, and camping gear evaporate before our eyes. We prayed for containment. At the peak of my helplessness, I yelled at my husband, "Where's my rainbow?" I desperately needed a sign. I know God is always with me, that Christ died for me, and yet in a moment of panic I needed something tangible. Grabbing my shoulders, my wonderful husband turned me around and pointed, "There. Right there is your rainbow." It was the biggest, grandest rainbow I have ever seen. We could see both ends! Sobbing, I was reaffirmed that God never forsakes His children. Sometimes, we aren't listening, or facing the right direction. We take our eyes off Him.
In the grand scheme of things, our tragedy is minor. We'll get a new shed, new stuff to put in it. There's a plan in place for a new maple tree. Our glass, to a non-Christian, is just about empty. To me, it is full to the brim, even overflowing, with the Holy Spirit. What a blessing. I almost look forward to standing in ashes doing the clean-up this weekend.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9, NIV
Jennifer, that was beautiful. I hope that your insurance will cover all that was lost and that you are able to replace everything with even better stuff than what you had before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Lisa. I am overwhelmed by how blessed we are in everything.
ReplyDelete