A startling question

Yesterday I had the 'gift from heaven' privilege of sharing food and fellowship with a friend, our husbands are cousins but she and I have been acquaintances, friends, co-laborers in church ministry and grand dialog buddies for years. Our paths don't cross as frequently as they used to and it was a joy to catch up with her - though I'm afraid I was doing most of the catching up discussing. She just asks way too many questions and I give way too long answers. =)

Our paths were connected during some our family's very tough and difficult years and even then she would ask tough questions that I didn't always want to answer. Today while I was sharing how, after 6 1/2 years since our business fire, the Lord has done some amazing things and provided opportunities that we never would have imagined. Struggles continue that are easy to 'blame' on the fire but both Jay & I have had discussions in the last year where we've acknowledged the changes in our spiritual walk, changes in our lives, changes in our circumstances, changes in how we relate to people..... and on and on. They have been changes for the good and they never would have come about without those hard, hard years - years that are a story all their own. I was sharing how grateful I am for the lessons I've learned. She expressed excitement for the 'beauty from ashes' and surprised me with this question...

"So can you now thank God for the fire?"



Ever fiber of my being came to attention and I'm not sure if she was aware of how I gasped inside. Thank God for the fire?



??? The fire that has a B.C. and and A.D. in our history. It's a point on our time line that has a definite and distinct 'before' and 'after'.


This fire changed literally almost everything about our lives. And a few of those changes I'm still trying to adjust to. It continues to be a journey.


I certainly wasn't planning on posting these pictures yesterday morning when I awoke. I finally feel like we can breath again.... we can move around a little more like normal people.... there was a long period of time where I seriously wondered if that was ever going to be possible again. Looking through the album of pictures deciding which ones to post had me in a puddle of tears - it brings back a flood of emotions, a flood of memories. It's been a while now that I haven't teared up just because I heard the fire sirens whistling through the neighborhood. I instantly breath a prayer for whomever and wherever those sirens may be for and be headed.

So the question needs an answer. I don't know if I can yet actually say Thank you with an honest heart. But enough time has gone by to look back and see soooooo many blessings, countless instances that were only 'God moments' and so without a shadow of a doubt I can attest to His watchcare, His provisions, His perfect timing (although I still to tell Him His timing takes too long sometimes for my liking). And giving testimony to those things is more then, at one time, I thought would ever be possible. So I continue to trust, continue to be amazed, continue to adjust to the changes, continue to seek His face for direction, wisdom and guidance for this new, unexpected path we find ourselves on.

But can I thank Him for the fire?

I'm still workin' on that one, Karen, but thanks for asking. Again you've caused a soul searching process and those are always good.