It has been thirty-one years ago this month since our house burned. I still remember the feeling I had when I drove onto our street, saw the firetruck, and realized that it was our house. I still remember the smells, the burned possessions, the charred Bible that lay on the floor in my bedroom. Desperation filled me as I lay my head on my father’s knee and wept. I remember the exact words I spoke to him. “What are we going to do?” Standing in my front yard, I looked at the house and wondered if we would ever be the same again. The answer to that is, “no.” I am not the same person I was then, and yesterday was a reminder of how I am different and why.
Yesterday morning, my husband, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, and I made the trip to Mayfield, Kentucky, to deliver a check to the church from the Christians in our congregation. They have turned the church building into a distribution center to meet immediate physical needs of the local residents.
When we left the church building, we drove through the streets of downtown Mayfield, and what you see on television is nothing compared to what it really looks like. It is so overwhelming—piles of rubbish, twisted cars, metal from buildings, and piles of what used to be the possessions of many people. Everywhere we looked was devastation. People are still walking around dazed at the sight, volunteers still searching the rubble, and linemen working to restore power. These people will never be the same.
So, how can I say there are blessings in the midst of this tragedy? Where is the positive among so much negative? The blessings from my tragedy and the blessings from the Mayfield tragedy may be very different, but there are similarities; and I truly believe they exist in every situation.
When our house burned, neighbors, friends, church members, and total strangers responded to us. There was food, clothing, and offers from many sources. At the time, I lived each day in a fog. But as I reflect on that time of our lives, I know what blessings all of those things were. We were blessed that it didn’t happen in the middle of the night. We were blessed that the house didn’t burn completely. We were blessed that we had a place to stay. We were blessed by love and support of fellow Christians.
Mayfield was blessed that it didn’t happen in the middle of the day, when the buildings were filled with people. They are blessed that there are receiving support from various directions. They are blessed the church, sitting closely to the center of the tornado, is there to offer help. They are blessed to have fellow Christians from many places bringing supplies and money to supply their immediate needs.
The greatest blessing in these, or any tragedies, is that Christian people have the opportunity to serve. That is where the true blessing is—serving others.
Jesus told the story of the talents and the three men to whom the master gave the talents. Two of the men increased the number of talents, but the third did nothing but bury his. He was condemned because he was lazy, and he missed an opportunity (Matthew 25:26). In verse 31, Jesus speaks of the judgment where all nations will be gathered. Those that will be blessed are those that offered assistance to the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger. Those that will be condemned are those that refused to do for those in need. Jesus says that doing these things for those in need is doing it for Him. Not doing these things is selfish and missed opportunities.
I fear that many see tragedies, express their sympathy, and never make the effort to relieve the suffering. Where will that put us when we stand before God in judgment?
At the end of Acts chapter 2, we read about the new Christians selling their possessions and sharing them with other Christians. They saw a need, and they met that need. In Second Corinthians 8, we read about the generosity of the churches in Macedonia towards the church at Jerusalem. The persecution in Jerusalem had brought about serious needs, and the churches of Macedonia met those needs.
In the midst of such tragedies as the tornadoes, we are seeing commercials on television about the need to save elephants and to rescue mistreated animals. Those may be good causes, but our command from God our Father is to respond to those with whom we come in contact—those human beings who are in need. In so doing, we will bless the needy; and we will be blessed in the judgment.
One does not have to be rich to do for the needy. Remember, Jesus said that one who gives even a cup of cold water in His name will not lose his reward (Matthew 10:42).
Possessions seem so important to us, but they are only temporary. I miss some of those things I lost in the fire, especially my Bible. But what I remember is the love, kindness, and support of those who were there for us. Jesus’ words are a reminder of what is really important. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV).
Sandra Oliver