April 8, 2013
African sunsets are incredible. Night after night, country after country, I am never disappointed! Around 5:30 PM, hues of blue, purple, gold, white and red dance across the sky doing their best to steal my breath and serving as a constant reminder that God truly is an artist. Only He could literally light up a world-wide canvas with brilliant orange flames that somehow manage to warm my skin and my soul in one swoop. He’s pretty impressive!
Flames in the sky are one thing; flames of the actual fire variety are an entirely different concept, all together. For as long as I can remember, fire has been one of my greatest fears, but not in the way you might think. I’m not afraid of being burned; I’ve spent plenty of time around campfires and burning brush piles to feel comfortable and safe. The finality of fire, however, scares me mightily. The prospect of a house fire has always been a terror. Sure, there are other disasters that take plenty from you – tornadoes and floods can wipe out more than you’d ever dare to think about. But, for me, fire is the great end-all. There is, essentially, no recovery from flames that destroy everything in their path, that eat mementos and that ravish valuables. You can say “stuff is just stuff” all you want to, but the plain and simple truth is that if everything I own and love was stripped from me in a matter of scorching moments, I’d be a wreck!
Thoughts like this surged through my mind as I stood atop a hill near Nsoko, Swaziland, overlooking a breathtakingly gorgeous, green valley flanked by mountains all around, their peaks darting into the latest brilliant sunset to grace my African venture. Behind me stood the remains of a stick/grass/mud hut that until that morning had been home to the family now seated beside me. Charred piles of grass and household items line the floor now easily visible through gaping holes in the walls. One powerful gust of wind and what’s left of this structure is a certain pile of rubble. The only things more broken than this former house are the hearts of the people who once lived in it. There is sincerely nothing left.
It’s moments like this where I wish “Jesus” felt like a better answer. Who am I to walk up to a family who had literally just lost everything they’ve worked for and confidently proclaim, “Praise God, even when you suffer. Sorrow may last for a night…” Blah. Blah. Blah. I felt like such a phony; were I in there shoes, that last thing I would want to hear would be anything having to do with the God who “allowed” this tragedy to happen to me in the first place.
But this family blew me away. My squad mate, Jaclyn, boldly asked them how experiencing something like this made them feel toward God. Their answer? “We trust that He will provide for us. He is good.”
Talk about a gut check. In their shoes, I’d have been mourning the loss of my possessions, frantically seeking a new place to move into, worrying over where I would find food and how in the world I would survive. But really, I wouldn’t be worrying at all. I have amazing family and friends that I know would be by my side in a heartbeat. There are people I can count on to carry me, to support me and to get me back on my feet every time I need it. This family doesn’t have anything like that.
There is a grandmother, her two sons, one daughter-in-law and two children. They are all the family one another has. Here, neighbors don’t come running with boxes of clothes and barrels of food. No one offers a couch to sleep on. It’s a different world. This family truly has no one else to trust except God. And so they put their complete and total faith in Him. He will provide. He is good.
“his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.”
-1 Corinthians 3:13
My faith is being put to the flames. Time and time again, it’s tested. Do I truly believe that God will provide for all my needs? Do I rely on Him for everything? Do I consistently serve Him, and Him alone, or do I seek approval and recognition from man? Godly fire isn’t something to fear. Rather, it’s to be sought after and highly desired! As painful as it may be, it is only when my faith is truly tried that I can be the purest testament for God’s incredible work in my life.
Be Blessed,
Ashlee
