Laliberte
In November of 2003, the deadly Cedar fire burned nearly 10% of San Diego county. Although most of the homes affected by the fire were in outlying areas, one home burned in the middle of a newer subdivision in Poway. It was the home of Wayne and Kei's family, and their seven children.
Shortly before the fire began, Wayne had been awaiting surgery to alleviate the back pain that nearly kept him from walking. So when the police ordered their immediate evacuation, Wayne swallowed some pain medication and drove his family to the pastor's home.
A phone call from a neighbor brought them the bad news: they wouldn't be able to return to their home that night because their house had been damaged. Although they were aware that their home had been affected by the fire, they still weren't aware of the extent of the damage. When they were finally allowed back into the neighborhood, they were shocked to find that although the outside walls were still standing, the fire had completely gutted the inside of their home. Even as they were grappling to understand the extent of the damage to their house, a calming reminder lingered in their minds, "This is not your home."
As they surveyed the damage to their home, the pieces of a very strange puzzle began to fit together. Because the firefighters tried to keep the fire contained to the inside of their house, neither of the homes on either side of theirs was affected. In fact, their house wasn't even on the outer edges of the development, where a wildfire hazard would be expected. No, their house stood in the middle of a 160 home neighborhood. It was one of only three that burned that day.
As Wayne and his wife searched through what was left of their fire damaged possessions, Kei remembered a pitcher that had been given to her a year and a half earlier by a dear friend. Surprisingly, even though most of the contents of their home had been destroyed, this pitcher was still intact. Looking inside it, she found the card she had been given. In the blackened shell of her home, these precious words came alive in ways she could never have suspected: "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
In that moment, Kei realized that it had been the Lord who reminded her about her friend's gift and that He was speaking to her through this verse. She understood that the Lord knew what her pain was going to be before it even happened and that He had already been preparing comfort for her.
In God's good plan, what looked at first like an inexplicable tragedy became a great opportunity to witness to neighbors by sharing the hope that sustained them during this difficult time. The wonderful news is that these opportunities haven't ceased even yet, three years later. For this family of nine, lessons about God's sufficiency to supply true treasure were worth more than they could ever have imagined. For Wayne and Kei, God's good will meant a long season of rebuilding and a beautiful new home, but the greatest treasure they received was the experience of the comfort God had sent in advance of their need.
God's intention for this trial was not to take away but to give. They were given an opportunity to share with their neighbors the hope they had during the fires. Theyare still able to witness to some of their former neighbors. And for this family of nine, they can look back and see how much they need God and how sufficient He is.
