God Performs His Miracles Even in the Fire

I pray these individual accounts from victims from the Marshall Mesa Fire will offer you hope and strengthen your faith.  Yes, our God is a consuming fire but he is also full of mercy and hope. 

“We found baby Jesus!!!” she exclaimed.

In the twisted steel beams and fallen living room rubble that had been created by the devastating fire that ravished my community, strangely all the key characters noted at the birth of our Savior were found, albeit in broken pieces, except Jesus.  Tom felt inclined to start digging right where he was kneeling, and in a pile of soot, there was the baby: with arms and legs perfectly intact!  A miracle, considering nothing else was making sense.  By the joy experienced in that moment, you would think the family had found a suitcase of a thousand-dollar bills.  No, it was a tiny porcelain figurine representing the light of the world.  Seek and you will find! (Matthew 7:7-8)


When you’ve lived in the Boulder community for most of your life, like a few of us have, and the most expensive and destructive urban fire in Colorado history, destroying 6000 acres and 1000 homes, ravishes just a few miles from home, we’re bound to know quite a few people directly and indirectly affected.  I praise God that no one I know went to heaven prematurely, but the ripple effects of the material loss and emotional pain are just now being felt and seen.  We are all looking to find hope in our suffering and God promises to do so. (Psalm 34:17)

Sadly, my friends Kat and Tom lost their home.  When they were allowed back into their neighborhood, Tom said “When we climbed down into the smoldering rubble of what had been our home, almost nothing was recognizable. A few pots and pans. Twisted steel I-beams, disconnected from the foundation, had fallen onto the ash. On our front porch we could see the crumbled concrete of the foundation, bricks strewn about. And the beautiful designer front doors themselves melted into a twisted ball. But Mary remained. Covered by black soot on the right half of the statue’s body, she was unscathed.”  This remnant was the reminder they needed that God makes beauty from ashes. (Isaiah 61:3)
In the yard of a home not far from Kat and Tom’s this was found.  A simple plastic nativity sustained heat that steel beams couldn’t!  If this image doesn’t give you goose bumps of God’s obvious involvement in this firestorm, I don’t know what does. 

Considering that as Nancy’s friend Pierre, who was fleeing by car, with the fire on his heals, and he could hardly see through the blowing smoke and ash, was able to make out what seemed to be two figures on foot.  He sped over and insisted they jump into his car.  He wasn’t thinking of himself, and he said he felt the Holy Spirit nudge him to take a moment to grab the strangers.  When they arrived to safety, both kids had 3rd degree burns on their skin.  God was moving in miraculous ways on 12/30.  How do people walk through a blaze without getting burnt?  How does a plastic mold sustain flames without melting into a pile of gunk?  (Isaiah 43:2-3)

My dear Coll lost her parent’s home too.  While her mom was living, she was quite the Angel herself and a collector of angels also.  A couple of years ago Mom passed unexpectedly.  And ever since angel figurines have been making unusual appearances in Coll’s world.  There have been many accounts of uncanny angel choochkies appearing in funny places.  We have always figured this was God’s way of reminding Coll that He’s got her in the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:46), that He cares for her and Mom in heaven and that He's got a good sense of humor.  When the fire subsided, Coll returned to her parent’s home, and all that was standing was the fireplace and a few recognizable items.  Guess what one of these items was: this Christmas angel # 1972 plate.  The significance was huge! It helped her to feel the comfort she needed in order to face the loss of family photos and material things that had been left behind in the home.

From another area that was destroyed by the fire, Warren said this: "some people came from Castle Rock with a horse trailer looking for a way to help rescue animals. Somehow they were able to get into the subdivision and somehow find our house and somehow knew that our horses were there and they rescued them then somehow found out whose horses they were and found our phone number and called us to give us the good news. We met them with the horses in the trailer and took them to a friend's ranch for the night. We are giving all the credit to God. No other explanation than that…”

This type of terror leaves us asking questions.  God spared some homes while others were destroyed. It’s not fair. To ask why doesn’t serve us well because only our Heavenly Father knows the answers.  Choose to live one day at a time, press on and know that His mercies are new every morning.  (Lamentations 3:23) Together we will pick up the pieces and fight for joy.

If you have a story of hope that you’d like to share, or resources you think would help serve our hurting community, please comment below.  Let’s encourage each other and continue to flood our hurting brothers and sisters with the helping hands of Jesus, your love and continued prayers. (1 Thessalonians 16-18)

I pray you will get the healing you need from this horrific event and perhaps this class will help: God of Miracles.  I taught this class special for the survivors of the fire so please share it with others you know that might benefit from it.  Yoga is a great way to move trauma out of the body.  If you have the energy, go for it.  If not, that’s ok too!  Take the time you need to process all that’s been pressing on your body and heart.

You are invited to join us tomorrow night at Red Rocks Church 7pm and in person on Wednesday noon for in-person classes  Check it out at frogpose.org.
Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/ is where you will find us anytime.
 
Be encouraged knowing that God is standing with you through the fire. (Daniel 3:16-28)

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