Sometimes fire destroys. Sometimes it brings new life. Many times it does both. On July 23, 2018, the Carr fire was started in Northern California. It took over one month to get it contained. At the end of the sprawling $1.5+ BILLION in damages, over 1,000 homes were lost and several people lost their lives. But, something beautiful came from the ashes. The true word of community responded. Organizations that specialize in disaster response showed up with supplies and manpower. At one point, during the fire, there were over 4000 people responding in some way to the devastation. However, after the fire, I'd argue there were more people from all the over the country and world praying, giving and helping in any way they could. Bad things happen, but our response determines the final results. When the city of Grand Forks, ND flooded in 1997, it was terrible. Many people moved away, people shut down their businesses and many homes were bulldozed and demolished. Over $1 billion in aid came their way and now Grand Forks' downtown area, and even the spaces destroyed (such as Lincoln Park), paved the way for a better city and a better downtown community. Everyone could have picked up and left, but people came together and new life was breathed into a city. We have seen the same thing in Shasta County, CA. People are rising up to help their neighbors and hope is on the rise. We can clearly see new life rising from the ashes. And, that is exactly what God promises He will do. He will work everything together for good. When we walk through a 'fire' in our lives, we can choose defeat and despair or we can see it as an opportunity for new life. It's not always easy, but sometimes a fire brings to the surface things we don't like to see. In fact, they look black and charred and dead. They don't look like Jesus. But, if we choose to endure through the process of healing, new life is waiting on the other side.
So, let fire destroy the things that don't look like Jesus. Rise up in the midst of what looks like terrible defeat and join forces with your community... for new life is just around the corner.
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Hello!We're a family of six living full-time in a skoolie (aka a school bus converted into an RV). We are inviting you to join us as we live life to its fullest and empower others to do the same. Welcome to the family! Archives
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