Fire and Hope

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

-1 Peter 1:18-21

Now, the snow has stopped pausing the dance enabling us to settle into this new location, season, life.  Surrounded by billions of others who all look just like us until one peers close enough to see the intricacies of the other's design.  We are ready to be overlooked, to overlook ourselves.  Forgetful that our creation was on purpose, for a purpose.  Running in fear from failure.  Failure to love properly, to be loved properly.  Failure to care and be cared for.  Failure to succeed and encourage success.  Because in a broken world love, care, and success mean sacrifices
.  And going up, takes giving up...

 Pride, lust, selfishness.

All we see is the bad inside ourselves and where we messed up or are messing up.  We doubt our faith, we doubt where our roots are really planted.  It is the last thing we want but its all that we need, a storm.  A storm that breaks down all the walls we put up so we can see where our strength, hope, and trust truly lay.

Flames lick air as wax runs down.  It is close to the base now and no one is home to blow it out.  The candle of hope was left on.  Heat and fire melt the plastic waxy wreath and black billows of smoky ash disperse through the house.  Room by room it spreads.  Power is in the flames and they kiss the glass of the window above a sink that has seen more dishes and potato skins than most.  A sink that witnessed laughter, tears, fights, and reconciliation now sees the flames of hope bringing what most would call hopelessness as the fire spreads to the window ledge.

Phones ring but God has more important plans tonight.  His faithfulness is shared in the life of a man who didn’t know he didn’t know God and thought he was doing alright until he found Him.  The women listening wants to know but is unable to determine what is holding her back.  She holds her husband’s hand who smiles as the body of believers share the hope that they find in Christ.  All the while the hope candle spreads its light on the window sill of the man who didn’t know he didn’t know.  Because, her heart is more important than any phone call that may come but the phone rings for the 3rd time and now his wife and mine, his daughter, start to too.  So, he takes a quick look at the message from his brother and sees the calls are from Haas Security and his wife answers the phone call from her future daughter.

“Our house is on fire,” the wife mutters.  There is a pause because the words came quick and they just do not seem real.  The wife and her family get to their feet.  Words are shared and things are left as they rush to the white truck outside in the icy winter night.  Phrases of frustration are said in front as hymns of hope are sung in back.  For, who knows what we are to come home to.  And prayer requests are sent out and words are sent up to a Lord who has seemed so far for too long.

Questions:  WHY?  Is the dog okay?  NO, anger.  What about all the pictures I printed off for Christmas presents.  All my clothes, bed, computer but thank God the new shelves are in the truck bed behind me.  My mind runs a sprint of loss. But what is home?

Then pausing, I remember asking God to help me decide how to get rid of some of the things in my closet and I tell him, “This was an interesting way of helping me with that.” I chuckle to myself and we drive the quickest 20 miles these tires have tread.  And a prayer is said before we reach the drive…

“Thank you Lord, for the knowledge that our hope should be in you alone.  Thank you that you are all we need, thank you for the ultimate gift this Christmas season, your Son.”

We pull into a drive with flashing red and white lights, and men in yellow pants and coats.  Our eyes catch the first signs of hope as a girl comes through the trees with a dog in hand and we look up to see a house, fully standing.
Peace.

A hand goes to the face of a daughter who can not believe the grace.  Because this 30 minute journey was more than just a fire, more than just the loss of earthly possessions.  It was a journey into her heart, mind and soul. Through contemplations of where she really lies, and what foundation her heart is truly on.  The test that has been going on inside her heart is now touchable and real.  She wants to feel the loss she wants to feel the hurt pain anger but something overrides it all.  

Joy.

Her savior lives and the only damage done is to a door smashed open, a sink run black, and a window shattered.  And in the window she sees wings like an angel watching over.  

Love.

The year behind of adventure.  Ups, downs, loss, gains and letting go.  Letting go of yourself and fighting with the desire to be of this world while knowing there is nothing in it.  So thank God for a black sink and boarded window.  Thank God for a door nailed shut and a floor splattered with black.

And the truth is she is stronger than she thought and He is closer and truer than she knew.  That sometimes we need to go through a storm to see all the impossible He can and wants to do through us.   When we give Him the charred, burnt and broken pieces of ourselves he takes them for himself and shows us the words of his truth lying underneath.

Because we are not perfect, but he wants us all the more anyways.
For...

Hope.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,  trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

1 Peter 1:3-16