House Fire

When something like this happens, it makes all the little things in everyday life that we worry about, that are SO important in the moment, seem absolutely trivial.

Around 5:00 today, I got a call from my brother Wesley. He said he had some bad news to give me. Then he told me my parents' house was on fire. Honestly, I didn't believe him. "Are you serious, Wes? It's literally on fire?" He told me he wouldn't joke about this. Which is a lie... he jokes about everything. But this time he was completely serious.

So I'm standing in the dressing rooms of Old Navy, and Wes is telling me my parents' house is on fire, and it's bad. I honestly didn't know what to say. He reassured me everyone got out, even the stupid dog, and all my family was safe. I prayed a silent but sincere prayer of thanks for their safety. And then I started crying.

Later on I got to talk to my mom, and she was surprisingly okay. They'd put the fire out, and a big chunk of the house is gone, but once things start to dry off they can go in and salvage what they can. "The hardest thing, Lindsay... The most miserable thing I've ever felt... Is standing in the road watching everything you own go up in flames," she said.

After crying, my next instinct was to call Joel. I called and called and called until he picked up. Of course, there's nothing he could do, but it was nice just to hear his calming voice, his reassurance that everything would be okay. Next I started making lists in my head of all the ways I could help my parents: go to Des Allemands tomorrow and help begin the clean-up process. Take over and start my cell phone and car insurance bills right away. Save and save all the money I make to help them rebuild. But this all seems so, so tiny, so insignificant to offer someone who has lost everything.

What do you do after hearing your home has been engulfed in flames? Nothing looks or feels the same- at least not yet. This evening I was scrolling down my Facebook feed, and I suddenly had a strange feeling. Part of it is probably shock, but part of it is also realizing... The things that we worry about, text about, post on Facebook about... These things are so SILLY. There are people in the world today who are suffering- from house fires, yes, but also from loneliness and starvation and abuse and so, so, so many other things! It's like this whole catastrophe has stirred up something inside of me that just wants to yell, "WAKE UP! LOOK BEYOND YOURSELF!" This world is a lot bigger than me, and God has a lot bigger purpose.

So I'm a little angry. And a little bit sad. But even still, there is this amazing peace. I know, in the very depths of my soul, that God is going to provide for my family. I know that He has a purpose in all of this, and I trust in Him. No matter what.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7