They're just things....

So let me tell you about my best friend. I got this call today that her house was on fire. Yes, I did say on fire. I canceled my appointment, made a u-turn, and got to her house as fast as I could. I expected to find her crying and upset or just staring at her house in disbelief.

Instead when I got to her I thought she was hosting a block party. She was smiling from ear to ear, telling everyone she was doing fine and checking in on other people. And she really was fine. I stayed with her all day. I kept waiting for the ball to drop and her to break down crying at some point. But she didn't. She really was ok.

She was grateful her dog wasn't hurt and that was all that mattered to her.

The fire happened when a friend who was repainting the house used a blow torch to take off the old paint and some insulation caught on fire. The friend is insured and my friend has insurance as well. My friend was able to recover her daughter's baby pictures and her furniture down stairs was salvaged as well – it just might need cleaned from the smoke smell, but it didn’t get any water damage because the firemen covered it. She will not be able to live in the house for a few months and the house will not have electric or gas restored until it is completely remodeled and probably completely rewired. My friend is doing fine and just grateful no one is hurt. She is asking people to pray for her friends that were doing the work on the house as she knows this is so hard on them and that this was an accident and everything can be replaced.

What an amazing eternal perspective my friend has. This world isn't our home. How good it is to know that when something like this happens.

The neighbors kept saying over and over, "I don't understand how she is taking this so well. I am shaking all over and this isn't even my house. Why is she taking this so well?"

I got to share with two of the neighbors that my friend was doing so well because she has the Lord giving her peace and grace to deal with this trial. The one neighbor said, "I am a Christian, but I must need more then."

Thank you Lord that you used this trial to show others their need for You.