What will it take?
- Derek Snyder
- Oct 28, 2007
Today is Sunday October 28, 2007 and some of the southern California fires continue to burn as I type this. The portion of the fires that burned through or threatened crowded suburbs appear to have been contained or shifted with the winds. As firefighters continue fighting fires that are still burning, some families are beginning to look ahead to recovery. I am left still thinking about what all of this means for me and my family.
We live in eastern Chula Vista about 2 miles from one of the fires with a large water reservoir in between to protect us. We voluntarily evacuated ourselves along with our toddler and 7 week old baby to Imperial Beach for a couple days. Sitting on the beach is not such a bad place to be if you need to leave home. As many reports and video of homes burning in northern San Diego began to air I had a strange thought cross my mind which for better or worse I voiced to my wife. I told her, that in some ways I really would not care all that much if our house and most of its contents burned. In fact, I was almost welcoming it the more I thought about it. Needless to say, she was not really with me on this thought. I apologize to anyone that has been devastated now or in the past by any disaster that has taken your home and its contents. But before you tune me out and call me crazy let me explain.
You see, in Southern California and in particular out in eastern Chula Vista where we live there seems to be plenty of young to middle age families that are fairly successful which has afforded them and their families physical comfort and possessions beyond what people in other parts of the city, state, country or even the world can ever dream of. As someone whom tries to live their life trusting in Christ and His good news I was left with the feeling that at times my possessions get in the way of truly living life to the fullest with God and those around me. Am I unknowingly seeking and finding temporary comfort in my possessions? Obviously we all have precious, irreplaceable possessions and keepsakes that we would want to save and there is nothing wrong with that. But once I loaded the car up with those few things that left the other 98% of the contents in my house, not too mention the house itself. Would we be so bad off if we lost the majority of our possessions and our house? What would we really be losing? The big screen TV? The other smaller TV's throughout the house? The fancy new curtains or bedspread. The nice furniture or favorite chair? Some computers and other electronic toys would be lost. Maybe some brand name clothes or shoes. A favorite book or CD might be lost. The more I thought and added it all up in my head it did not really amount to much that should really be important. Yet on an everyday basis I live my life as if all of these things are important and at times my happiness seems to depend on them. Have you ever had your TV, cable or computer go out for a few minutes, hours or worse yet, even days? Have you ever had your normal daily routine disrupted so you couldn't have your morning cup of coffee and check email or read the sports box scores from the previous day? I am guessing you are not a happy camper either when your day is not going as you planned. How we act when things don't go as planned or when we don't have all of our possessions with us give us a peak inside our hearts and let's us know we may be looking for too much comfort in the wrong things.
In church today the sermon was from Psalm 46 which states "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear." Day to day are we living our lives as if God is our refuge and comfort? Or do we live it as if our possessions are our refuge and comfort? Psalm 46 goes on to state "Come, behold the works of the Lord..." Do we daily behold the works of the Lord? Do we truly appreciate and enjoy his creation or are we letting true life and comfort pass us by while we watch it all in high definition? When was the last time you got out into Gods creation and went camping, a hike or just stepped outside and marveled at the stars? When was the last time you left your Treo, Blackberry or iPhone at home and got a way with the family? I wonder if we are giving our kids so much physical comfort and possessions that they will not function well as adults when difficult times fall on them. Do they see us finding our refuge in God daily, during good times and bad? Towards the end of Psalm 46 it says "Be still, and know that I am God:"
It is my hope that it will not take a fire or any other disaster to wipe out all of my possessions to ensure I look to God for my comfort and refuge on a daily basis, in good times and bad. It is my prayer today that we will all daily, be still and marvel at the God of the universe that loves us so much he sent his son to live and die on our behalf.
Note: The photograph included above was taken by Jennifer Lindsay as she visited a friend in Rancho Bernardo. If you look at the top of the hill in the middle of the picture you will notice a cross standing, untouched by the flames that burned all around it.
