Several weeks ago, I had the blessed privilege to go on a
Ladies Retreat out-of-state.
You can read about it
here.
It's something I look forward to all year.
It's a big family event!!
Mommy is going to be gone; Daddy is going to be in charge!
Every year, for many years, my husband has handled
this 3-day get-away like a champ.
But it has become a family "joke" that nearly every time
Mommy goes on the Ladies Retreat some sort of "disaster" happens.
We even talked about that just before I left so
it would not come as such a surprise this year.
I was mentioning this to a friend who had never been to the Ladies Retreat
as she has 7 children and a traveling husband.
I told her about our past adventures
but that surely these were just random events.
My exact words were:
"What's so wonderful is that you feel you are away long enough to be refreshed,
but not long enough for your house to burn down."
So you can only imagine the shock and horror I felt
when on Friday evening I was standing right next to the camp director,
waiting for our next fun event to begin, when he received a phone call
from my husband. I couldn't believe it.
My first thought was, "Oh no, what in the world?"
The director handed me the phone and my husband says,
"I'm standing right here in front of the Wilkerson's house
and it is burning to the ground."
This after he and my children had just spent the day with this family
on the first field trip of the school year!!
"WHAT?!?!"
Then the phone died.
I rushed into the camp director's office where we connected to the land line.
I called my husband back and to my horror he described what he was seeing.
Our dear friends, and their 6 children, had all gotten out immediately
after their oldest son had discovered
the source of all the smoke in their back yard.
In just moments, everything they had worked for, everything they had collected,
everything passed down to them from family through the years,
every picture taken through 25 years of marriage,
every piece of everything used in hobbies and ministries,
every dish, sock, shoe, winter jacket, camera, laptop, toothbrush, treasured book
was going to be lost.
Everything.
He handed his phone to my friend, and I could hear the shock in her voice
as she was watching every material possession, the security of her home,
the comfort of her daily routine engulfed in terrible flames and smoke.
The tears began flowing for my friend.
I wanted to be there to give her a hug and stand with her.
I wanted to gather up her little children who were my children's
volleyball teammates and school buddies and hold them close.
But I couldn't.
All I could do was cry, and relate the news quickly to mutual friends
what was happening at that moment, and to pray!
We weren't leaving the retreat until the next morning,
and I didn't sleep well that night.
My mind wouldn't unwind from the panic I felt for them.
My heart was incredibly heavy.
The next morning, as I sucked down hot coffee, trying to shake
the fog out of my brain, we sat down for our final session of the retreat.
Before the speaker got up, we all began singing the theme song for those few days away:
You Are Always Good
"Looking back I can see your fingerprints
Upon my life, always seeking my best.
There were times when your way would make no sense,
But as you said, You have never left.
You are always good, You are only good.
You are always good to me.
Though my eyes can't see, help my heart believe
You are always, only good."
I couldn't get through that song at that moment.
It reflected the heaviness I felt.
Another ugly cry began.
Why?
Why do people that I love have to go through this kind of trauma?
I believe that God is good.
I truly do.
But in our mortality, this does not make sense.
There surely is another way?
Another way to teach us?
Another way to grow us?
Why does it need to be so devastating?
So complete in its stripping?
"Looking in, I can see my frailty;
My sin is great, and my strength is so small.
Still you stay, and Your mercy shelters me;
You hold my hand, and you hear my call.
You are always good, You are only good.
You are always good to me.
Though my eyes can't see, help my heart believe
You are always, only good.
Looking up, I can see Your sympathy;
I doubt myself, but I'm sure of your love.
Lavish grace was poured out at Calvary,
Securing me for our home above.
You are always good, You are only good.
You are always good to me.
Though my eyes can't see, help my heart believe
You are always, only good."
In the days that followed, our family was immersed in trying to
help these friends in absolutely any way we could.
How can you sit at home doing nothing when people close to you
are suffering?
The answer, "I just don't know what I can do," is lame frankly.
Call.
Don't wait for someone to call you!
Be proactive.
The victims will not be calling for your help.
Find out where you can help.
Offer to bring food.
{These people not only lost their groceries
but any way of preparing and storing meals as well.}
Can't cook?
Bring up gift cards to restaurants.
Can you greet people at the door from throughout the community who will begin
hauling in bags of donations for the family up to the church?
Can you sort through all the donations and hang up clothes on racks
for the family to look/"shop" through for what they could wear THAT day?
Can you make phone calls to fellow church members as further
relief efforts fall into place?
Can you keep local community groups up to date on what the family needs
on social media sites?
Can you offer transportation for children who still have sports, music lessons,
doctors appointments to get to while parents are dealing with insurance and legal issues?
Can you take children shopping for clothes they need with gift cards
or monetary donations given to them?
Can you offer pick-up services to load and deliver donated furniture from
neighboring cities?
Can you help clean-up the donations so they are fresh and clean?
Can you help the family as they move into temporary housing
and need cleaning, repair, shopping for supplies done all at the same time?
Can you help open every single piece of everything that is brand new
and has to be unwrapped and set free from the packaging?
Think giant Christmas every day for awhile.
The possibilities are endless.
Most importantly.....PRAY.
And then text, write, or call and let them know you are praying that day!!
For wisdom, protection, health, strength, patience, provision
as the slow process of rebuilding takes place.
"As we therefore have opportunity,
let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Galatians 6:10
