God Is In Control

They cried out to the Lord in their troubles 

and He saved them out of their distresses 

(Psalm 107:19)

The couple stood side-by-side, clutching hands as they watched in disbelief the drama unfolding before them.  Carol’s head rested briefly on Ken’s shoulder as they watched firefighters working to extinguish the flames that engulfed their garage and threatened the rest of the house.

When the fire was finally out, due to the firefighters’ diligent efforts, most of the fire damage was confined to the garage and adjoining kitchen.  But smoke, heat, soot, and water claimed most of their belongings throughout the house.  In the span of a few brief moments, their lives had been drastically altered.

“It’ll be okay,” Carol told the reporter who arrived on the heels of the firemen.  “Everything can be replaced but us, and we’re all okay.”

The remainder of the day and for a number of days that followed, their front lawn was seldom empty as friends, neighbors, and fellow church members came to express their sympathy and offer all sorts of help.  They came to support and encourage the young family, but went away encouraged and uplifted themselves.

Ken’s ready sense of humor and Carol’s calm acceptance were not daunted by the catastrophe.  Instead, it seemed to have heightened those qualities.  Their expressions of faith in God’s love and ability to protect and provide, visibly portrayed their deep reliance on Him and His plans for their family.

Early on, someone erected a large canopy on the lawn of the charred, uninhabitable house.  Folding chairs were set up to provide a comfortable place to sit and talk and sort out their thoughts.  Very shortly, it became the site of impromptu prayer meetings as Christian friends rallied around them.

To discourage pilfering, two men from their church brought large sheets of plywood and nailed them up where the garage door had burned away.  This, too, would serve as a means of expressing the couple’s faith in God when, within a few days, Carol purchased a large can of black spray paint and printed a message in letters large enough to be seen by all who passed by. “God is in control,” it read.

Ken and Carol’s attitude and actions were exemplary of the faith we Christians are instructed to exhibit even in the face of unfavorable circumstances:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 

knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be mature 

and complete, lacking nothing

 (James 1:2-4)

What an impact could be made on our hurting broken world if Ken and Carol’s evident faith were the norm, rather than the exception, among Christians as a whole.  May God help us, in all circumstances, to reflect Christ in words and actions to such a degree that others will be drawn to Him, will come to know Him personally, and experience His boundless power in their own lives.

Lord, when I face disaster, whether great or small,
help me look to You and trust You for it all.
May my words and attitudes bring honor to Your name,
instead of looking around for someone I can blame.
Help me to remember You’re still in charge of me,
and are at work to make me all I ought to be.