After the Fire

Description

Life has these forest fires that scorch our landscapes, sometimes out of the blue, sometimes from far down the road, but life is not a still shot. It’s a movie. God keeps the film rolling toward life. From Secrets of Heaven 2910, “When a church reaches its end and dies, the Lord raises up a new one somewhere… among the gentiles outside it who knew nothing about it.” I see how God plants quiet seeds where we least expect them, even in us. We do not see new shoots in the smoldering ruins right away, yet a year later the roses surprise us. In our time the form of church changes too. I cherish the pew of my childhood, yet today many of us meet online, watch on Tuesday what was preached on Sunday, and discover grace in fresh places. Grief is real. So is the steady pull of Providence toward renewal. Be still and breathe. It always pulls to life. We can find comfort when we realize that some of God’s most beautiful work comes after the fire.