When the Ashes Fall, Part 1
|
Time seemed to drag pitifully forward as our window AC struggled to cool the bedroom to 90 degrees. It was three o’clock in the morning.
My family and I were recovering from a severe stomach flu in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave, which had slain our other two AC units that week.
The loss felt cruel. As I lay there waiting for relief, thoughts of my family’s recent estate drama pressed into my mind. Several unscrupulous companies had been able to deceive my loved one before she passed, and now the estate appeared to be evaporating amid the litigious heat. I hurt deeply, not just for the estate but for how much it had meant to her! Tears and sweat mingled on my lips as I prayed earnestly for God to help me to surrender my belongings now—before the judgment. “God, I give You my home. Please judge me now and teach me how to live rightly so my children are blessed with eternal things!” Days later, as Sabbath began, an eerie orange glow in the west challenged the sun.
A giant plume of smoke (pyrocumulonimbus, firestorm cloud) towered over our ridge, creating strong winds and sending dry lightning across the sky in thick bolts.
The deadly McKinney fire was raging toward our California, USA, town.
By the next morning, we were under an evacuation warning.
Darkness twisted my prayer of surrender back into my face; I choked on fear and uncertainty. I desperately prayed, “God, is this Your answer? Will we lose our home? Should I go to church or stay home and pack?” No answer but silence.
I felt numb with shock. Anxiety billowed up as I tossed a go bag of a few clothes into the van. Is that enough? Should I try to save more things? Even in the silence, I knew where to find peace. I needed to be in God’s house.
During the service, peace tenuously held its ground as I meditated on Psalm 23.
After eating lunch at a friend’s house, I looked out the window.
The dark orange sky, filled with falling ash, looked apocalyptic.
A blast of heat greeted me as I stepped out the door.
I turned to my husband and said from my gut, “It’s time to go pack now.” As we drove home, I surrendered again to God, not only as my Judge but also as my Good Shepherd.
Jessica Earl
