Our House Should Be a Pile of Ashes and a Chimney

Exploding overnight from 4,000 to 40,000 acres on September 10, the Bridge Fire may be the fastest-spreading fire in California history. Precise numbers are tough to nail down, but it appears that only about a dozen structures in our town of Wrightwood were burned. And most of those were sheds and outbuildings, not homes.

But tragically, some people did lose their homes. And the extensive burn has resulted in the closure for many months of the national forest that surrounds our town. Additionally, one of the local ski resort’s lifts was damaged, likely hampering their opening. This is a blow to the local economy, which is highly dependent on tourists.

Despite these negative circumstances, we’re extremely thankful that the fire didn’t level the entire town. And it looks like we had some divine intervention.

The director of the nearby Catholic camp reported that the fire chief in charge of our immediate area told him the fire should have raced down the canyon ridge behind our house and taken out large swaths of town. The fire chief couldn’t explain why that didn’t happen. Another firefighter reported that the only reason our canyon wasn’t consumed was that the wind unexpectedly stopped at midnight, effectively halting the spread.

Well, we know who controls the wind. Thank you, Jesus!  There were many Christians downwind of the fire who were praying fervently.

We are thankful for God’s gracious answer to our prayers, but let me bring up another side of the issue of answered prayer. Sometimes God responds in the way we ask, and sometimes he doesn’t. The fact that he spared us and not others – like those whose lives were devastated by hurricanes Helene and Milton – is not a reflection of our righteousness or their unworthiness. As Job ultimately learned, there is no direct link between righteousness or sin and blessings or curses.

On the Sunday immediately following our return from the mandatory evacuation, one of our church staff members observed that the typical question we ask when faced with tragedy is “Why? Why did this happen?” A better question, he suggested, is “What? What, God, do you want me to learn from this?” That’s a brilliant insight! Every life circumstance, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative, offers an opportunity to learn more about God and to grow to trust him.  

Despite the fire’s destructive impact, there have been some positives. I’m not offering these as justifications for God’s “behavior.” It always bothers me when someone says, “I could accept this calamity if only I understood what God is up to.” Knowing that would certainly help soften the sting, but God doesn’t owe me any explanations. I have to be OK with never finding out why a particular bad thing happened. But if someone is tuned in, they can recognize and appreciate the positives, even if they’re small.

Here are some of the good things we’ve seen:

• Weathering a stressful situation with others creates a sense of community and camaraderie. In the days immediately following our return from the evacuation, townspeople were joyfully greeting each other with words of gratitude.

• The firefighters and first responders did a heroic job of protecting our town. Hand-written signs expressing deep gratitude sprang up all over town. This was heartwarming.

• Because many people were pretty badly shaken, there was an unusual openness to spiritual conversations, and I was able to have some productive discussions. There’s nothing like almost falling off a cliff to make people reevaluate their circumstances and lives.

• Some of the firefighters were actually inmates from the local low-security prison. The director of the Catholic camp reports that this summer, his camp hosted 250 campers who are children of inmates. How cool is it that the camp that serves inmates’ children was saved in part by inmates!  Townspeople are pursuing hosting a “thank you” party at the prison to thank them for their key role in saving the town.

So, although this was a harrowing experience, God presence has been felt throughout the town. Our hearts go out to the victims of the two recent hurricanes, but we are thankful for the grace he has bestowed on

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Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?

Job 2:10

• When something bad happens to you, do you sometimes feel God is punishing you?

• Do you feel that, if God is truly loving and sovereign, he shouldn’t allow bad things to enter your life?

• To what extent are you typically able to find positive glimpses of good even in the hardest of circumstances?

Contentment: 2 Obvious But Life-Changing Ideas

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

The Apostle Paul – Philippians 4:12

Who wouldn’t want to be able to echo Paul’s sentiment? Here are a couple of thoughts that might help.

1. Contentment consists not in great wealth but in few wants. I came across this saying about thirty years ago and liked it so much I wrote it on a card to put on my stationary bike to ponder as I logged the virtual miles.

Our natural tendency is to constantly want more, especially during this hyper-consumerized time of year. I love the way our family handles Christmas gifts. Rather than taking wild stabs at what to get for each other, we each generate and circulate a list of things we’d enjoy. That way the gift givers know they’re on target.

I have been so materially blessed that I can initially be hard-pressed to identify things I don’t already have. I usually start with a pretty modest list, but as Christmas gets closer, I keep thinking of things to add, and by the time the big day arrives, I’ve so emotionally invested in my expanded catalog that I feel disappointed if some of it doesn’t make it under the tree. So, I’ve gone from having a hard time identifying things I want to being slightly miffed when all my wants are not satisfied. The problem isn’t with our gift-giving method but with my oversized list of wants.

Comparison is at the root of most discontent. I compare what I don’t have with what others do have. Of course, we tend to look “upstream” at people with more money, a better job, better looks, more friends, etc. And our contentment evaporates.

There is one way that comparison can help, though. And that’s by viewing our many, many blessings – both material and relational – in light of what other people don’t have. Two universal responses from people who go on third-world mission trips are amazement over the mind-numbing poverty and some degree of embarrassment over how much we have. And many of our new overseas friends seem more joyful than we rich Americans are. This type of comparison is a great reminder that contentment doesn’t consist in great wealth but in few wants.

2. I have exactly what God wants me to have. One of the finest books I’ve ever read is Trusting God by Jerry Bridges in which the author explores three of God’s biblically provable attributes. God:

• is sovereign over absolutely everything in the universe

• loves me perfectly

• knows what he is doing

If all these things are simultaneously true – and they are – how could I not have exactly what God wants me to have – no more, no less? Stop and think about this for a moment. When you recognize your lack of contentment, it’s helpful to ponder which of these three truths you’re failing to embrace.

May you and your family experience a blessed and contented Christmas season and 2019!