This has been an eventful week. I won’t recap all of it for you but the dominating headline is that one of our close friends had their home burn down just yesterday. They lost most of what they owned including their puppy Dexter. Betsy and I spent all afternoon and evening pick up the pieces of their lives that survived from among the ashes. It was very sobering.
When it was all finally stacked in a friends garage the gross sum of their earthly possessions fit neatly in a 6 by 6 foot square, not more than 3 feet high. They are staying with us until other arrangements can be made.
I have no eloquence for you today. Just questions for us all: What would be on our “short list” of things to save from the rubble? What does our list say about our priorities and character? Does the way we are living demonstrate to the world and to the Lord that Jesus is our priority not our stuff? I imagine I will continue to have lots of questions.
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can learn in life and in this tragedy is to remember that if the most important things to us can be burned up in a fire than we are not living for the most important things. Like my Grandpa used to say, “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.” In a word…..Jesus.
Wow, what an awful experience for them. I think my pictures have always been on my list, and I am sure that there are other sentimental things like my grandmother’s piano which would be sad to loose. But you are right, in the end it is all just stuff. I wonder why it is that “stuff” continues to be so important to us Christians, and is a continual struggle to not want more?
Will pray for your friends as they are displaced and dealing with their loss.
Kristin thank you so much for your prayers. They are doing well. The hardest part is having to do business while coping with the emotional toll. Betsy and I look forward to having dinner with you and Brody soon and finally meeting you!