God's in the mess!
Mike Quimby
On December 18th our family went to church as we normally do. As a pastor, Sunday mornings can be long, especially if we all head to Wegman’s (an amazing local grocery store) after the services. It’s a great time to let my kids enjoy their childcare while Jen and I unwind with a cup of coffee, meeting people as we shop.
When we finally arrived home, I finished unloading the equipment into the house and the kids and Jen were trying to prepare me for what they had seen! During that time we had received more than 3 feet of snow, followed by some warmer temperatures accompanied by rain. Off of our kitchen we have a series of pergolas that connect to each other. And under the weight of the snow and ice two of them completely collapsed!
The fallen wood ripped pieces of siding from the house. and our outdoor grill was crushed like a pop can. One of the main boards that fell stopped about 3 inches from a sliding glass door leading to our den. The damage to the deck below still cannot be determined due to the snow, but we are guessing there is some.
When things like this happen we (hopefully) immediately thank God that no one, including the dog, was in that area when it collapsed. We are also grateful that the damage wasn’t worse!
Later the afternoon we began the process of filing a claim with the insurance agency to see if they would be able to help us out. It was then that I saw yet another example of how God goes before us. Not only did he protect the living beings in our home, but we had just received a gift that was the exact amount of the deductible! I love when God shows up like that!
Deuteronomy 31:8 reminds us, "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” We can take these words to heart!
Maybe you are fearing what’s ahead in a new year. Maybe 2016 was the year to forget. Maybe your world is crashing down around you, just like those pergolas at our house.
My hope is that you will hear these words from Deuteronomy and believe them. And if you don’t see God working in your circumstances, it’s ok to ask Him for a sign! Just the other day we peered out the kitchen window into the mess of our deck and saw what survived: a beautiful angel hanging from one of the remaining beams!
That angel was a reminder to us that God is in the rubble of our lives.
