Fires

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Lamentations 3:22

picture by Alyce Manown

Had to share a little of how crazy things have been around here....looking back it seems to be the theme leading up to MG's procedures. Think God wants me to cling tighter.....

Saturday night I was sound asleep only to be woken up by Lee at midnight yelling, "get up, get up...we have a fire....get the kids, get the kids!" He had been watching tv and heard an explosion only to look outside and see a huge fire in the woods behind our house. He swung open the door to our deck from our bedroom and all I could see was smoke and could hear the crackling of the fire. Panic. I yelled for Loftin, our oldest son, and Lee grabbed the girls and we ran out the front door. As I turned around to look, the flames that were engulfing the woods behind our house were higher than the top of our roof. I was hysterical and quickly just started praying that God would save our home. We called our sweet friends/neighbors who looked out their window and saw the fire and we rushed inside. Soon the firetrucks came and we later learned that it was the garage of the house behind us, with many propane tanks that exploded. Thankfully the fire dept is right around the corner and got it under control. It shook me. As it was all happening, even in the panic....I was thinking about that word "consumed." And how quickly the fire could have spread straight to our house. We were very thankful that God protected us and we have even laughed some now, and if you know me well you can imagine my panic, which Lee said we may need to work on in the future in scary situations like that :)

 The very next morning at church our pastor used all these analogies about fires throughout the sermon. I looked at Lee and said "how strange." God knows how to get my attention. He spoke of how fires in the tree tops can spread so quickly and used a story about a firefighter who lit another fire in the forest to protect himself from the raging forest fire surrounding him.....the fireman used fire to fight fire and it saved his life. Then he shared the verse in Mark 1, "he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," and how the Holy Spirit living in us is the only way to fight the fires of our life and not be consumed. His power lives in us. And the verse above I had written down the day before the fire....we are not consumed, because of His love.

Later that day Lucy, our 4 year old, got hit with the stomach bug and Mary Graham is fighting off a cold that we are praying doesn't get worse or postpone the surgery. Just enough for God to want me as close to Him as possible. The verse I have been reading constantly and praying for Mary Graham since last week before all this happened and it has more meaning now....

^"And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." Isaiah 58:11-12

Please continue to pray for surgery tomorrow - we are always grateful for each of you. Praise God who is the protecter and restorer. May Mary Graham's life be one that reflects this for many generations to come.