I will remember the date always, as it has been seared in my mind. It was the day that things for my family changed forever. On May 16, 2017, just before midnight, we were awoken to find our barn fully engulfed in flames. What a helpless feeling to see it burning to the ground and not being able to do anything about it. The saddest part was the ninety animals that were lost in the fire. Through this experience, I can truly say I have learned a couple of things.
We knew God was with us the whole time. There was a storm coming from the West that was supposed to hit us that evening, but instead of the winds blowing southeast, the winds were blowing almost directly West. If the wind was blowing in any other direction the destruction would have been more devastating. We can see clearly how God protected our home from this fire. Even in the midst of great tragedy, God's promises are true, He will never leave us or forsake us. No matter what you are facing He is with you and He will be there with you. God does not cause these things to happen in our life but he promises to be with us and to transform it into something good if we trust him. God is faithful and we see him with us every day. We are thankful that he spared our lives and our home!
What are you currently facing? Do the trials seem insurmountable? Do you fear what your future holds? Do you feel like you will never recover from the losses you are facing? These emotions are not only predictable responses to extreme circumstances but can also be like chains around your neck keeping you bound to the pain of it all. I have learned that no matter what I face I need to look for HOPE. I need to turn to God and trust him that he will make something out of the mess that I am facing. God promises that no matter what we go through he will never leave our side. He also promises that if we trust him he will transform everything for our good.
I know that at the time of the fire, it was hard to see the good that could come out of it. It was so devastating and it took some time for my family and I to overcome the trauma we felt. It took many nights before we could even sleep through the night without waking up in sudden fear of the fire. But through it all God has shown himself faithful. He encouraged us through close friends, strangers and family. He provided financially through generous gifts from those who cared, and he allowed the insurance to cover most of the costs of rebuilding. Only this time we were able to build what we wanted.
So much has changed in our lives since that day and I can say wouldn't want to experience that again but looking back compared to how our lives are so much better now than they would have been without the fire in our lives. So my hope in sharing this with you is that no matter what you are facing today you would look for HOPE in your situation, and look to God for the comfort, healing and direction you need. You will overcome this and I know God will transform it into something good!
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