Beauty from Ashes

I have sat here, rolling through images captured of the blazing forest fires all around us down here in Southern Texas.  I am horrified by the mass of destruction.  When I think of those that have lost everything, I ache inside.  And I have come to know I cannot entertain the awareness of those that have not escaped or the animals that have perished as well.  Those images in my mind are simply too much.  I just can't go there.

But as I have looked at the horrific images and the extreme realness of the devastation, I find myself drawn back to what I remember about the last series of wild fires that blazed through where I grew up and lived for most of my life.  I will never forget the eeriness of some of the sights I saw.  For example, we were driving through the countryside, sadly looking at all the charred land and right in the middle of it all, was a tree... fully alive and well... and totally untouched.  Every inch for miles was as black and dead as could be, but that one tree, right in the middle of that pasture.  It was remarkable and unexplainable.  I stared at it for quite some time and just thought, "Wow God!  What a statement you made right there with that tree.  Beauty from ashes.  Amazing." 

And then as time went on, in a part of Texas where there is rarely enough rain to have the wild pastures green and lush, suddenly, everywhere that had burned was just that... green and lush.  I was honestly in total awe of the stunning richness of the new growth that went on for miles.  What a testament to our Creator.  Again, beauty from ashes.

So as I look at the horrific sadness of fires literally all around, I am thankful for those images I can call upon.  For with those remembrances I find hope and know that even as the blazing inferno rages on, somehow, God will bring beauty from ashes.  And until He does, He will be right there with all that are hurting to see them through to the other side of this.  I know this.  I have lived it.  God DOES see us through to the other side of our devastations. 

Maybe you aren't being directly affected by these awful wildfires.  I pray you aren't and never are.  But I have to ask, who of you are being affected by something personal that is like an inferno in your existence.  Who of you are wondering how you will ever get through whatever it is?  And who of you know someone around you that you are certain is wondering those things as well. 

It's kind of life isn't it?  Seems every day there is some kind of fire to put out. Sometimes they are small and easily contained, but other times they rage out of control no matter what we do to try to stop them.  And sometimes, much like those precious firefighters and first responders taking care of the raging fires, don't we sometimes just feel like we are melting and choking on hot ash?  It is a tough world out there.

But when I think of that one tree... that powerful image of that one tree that survived and seem to scream "Look!  Proof of HOPE!".... I know that if we look past the flames, somewhere in our personal infernos, God has left a "tree" for us to cling to as His promise to hang on... Help is on the way.

As I hurt for all that are hurting tonight in the ongoing destruction from these unbelievable fires, I praise my God for I know... I KNOW He will be bringing BEAUTY from the ASHES..... how thankful I am!

Prayerful....

Robin

Scripture reference point: Isaiah 61