Peace in the Smoke

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities;

for we know not what we should pray

for as we ought; but the Spirit itself

maketh intercession for us with

groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26

I have come to love the above verse. There have been times in my life when I was so burdened and tried to pray. I either felt like my prayers weren't going beyond the ceiling or that I just didn't know what to pray because of problems or a heavy heart. This verse assures me that when I'm so burdened down, the Holy Spirit knows me so well that He can intercede with the Father for me. The last day or so has been one of those times although I'm praying “on my own” now. For now, many in our small town are going through a time of suffering that as one deacon's wife said, “It's just too sad to even talk about.”

I received the phone call about the fire just before Brian and I had to leave for his doctor's appointment on Monday morning. A friend was dead in a house fire and her three children wonderfully spared, but now left without a mother. As we got into the car, the atmosphere outside was eery. There was a thick white smoke hanging relentlessly over our little community. We live right here in the Smoky Mountains but it wasn't the usual mountain mist we usually see. It was real, live smoke almost as thick as a heavy fog. The burning house was probably a little more than a mile from our house, if that, but the heavy smoke seemed all-consuming.

When a small church is without a pastor like ours is right now, a lot of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the chairman of the board of deacons. We are blessed to have a dedicated chairman in our days of transition. This last Sunday morning while making announcements at the beginning of the service, Donnie told us that because of Thanksgiving day on Thursday, we wouldn't have church on Wednesday night but would have the service on Tuesday evening. Little did we know that in about 15 hours, our deacon chairman would be switching roles, changing hats so to speak, because at 3:00 Monday morning, he would put on his fire chief helmet and would race to a burning house that was already engulfed in flames. There he saw to the rescue of three children, children he knew in our church.

Three young children are now orphaned. That word (orphaned) seems an odd word to use in our day...it seems so outdated. It is, however, a very real state of being for those children. They have hardly adjusted to the death of their father who died of a heart attack at the end of this last July. This was to be their first Thanksgiving and upcoming Christmas without their dad but now also without their mom. I can't even fathom what these children ages 5, 8,and 12 are feeling these days even though so many have come near them to express love, concern and to see to their physical needs at the moment. More heavy hearts...more heavy loads.

A community grieves even though this family may not have been well known. The local grade school principal jumped into action. Smoke hung over our little community most of the day Monday...a thick, white, daunting smoke coming from the house that was still burning. The house probably wasn't a half mile across the highway from the school. The principal kept children in the school building all day Monday for all sorts of reasons but done out of respect for all involved. He knew those three children, had been their principal and was now a heavy-hearted principal.

A wonderful, godly, young woman, Jaena, who serves with the youth of our church, and who is also a teacher's assistant at the grade school, took the three children into her care. These children had nothing but the pajamas on their backs when she retrieved them from the site of their burning home. Jaena was so perfect to be ministering to these children until their relatives arrived. The children had tears and probably lots of questions. The young teacher's assistant's heart was heavy anyway as she's such a tender person, but in it all, needed wisdom beyond her years. Folks from our church also came to be of help as well.

I've never lived in a community this small, a community where many are grieving in their own ways. There aren't very many you can talk to who are feeling real upbeat in the face of the holidays. Tragedy has struck, something totally out of everyone's control...a tragedy that seems too hard to comprehend or bear. Maybe if we had more answers, more understanding, we would feel better, but it wouldn't change what the outcome is. We have come to know in this life that these are things that happen in the course of life. This specific thing may not be that frequent but we've all faced incidents in our lives that make no sense. As Christians, we have come to learn, however, that our God can be trusted. He doesn't give us lists of explanations...He's God and always functions in our best interest, even when it doesn't seem like it.

Despite the heaviness of our hearts under any distressing circumstances, our place to run is into the refuge of God's presence. No one else can calm our hurting hearts. Even in the thick smoke of destruction, discouragement or distress, Jesus remains the Best Friend we will ever have. He is the only one that can calm our anxious cares and fears, and we receive that peace in Jesus' presence as we go to Him in prayer. He is our only hope for comfort. He is our peace in the smoke.

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My dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being You. No one in history has suffered as You suffered and You did it for us all. I have friends who are hurting, children suffering so much loss. Many of us at different levels desperately need Your peace and strength in these days. Grant Your wisdom to all involved in this tragedy by giving us Your peace and grace. Help us to find Your peace in the fact that this sweet mother is with You. Amen.

PS:

I thank those of you who have been praying about this situation. When things like this happen, I'm so grateful for the extended family of God that can feel deeply for Christians at a distance they don't know, nor will they know until Heaven. For now, relatives have arrived and taken charge of the children. The court has awarded the children to Kristina's brother and sister-in-law and the children are happy about that from what I've heard. A special fund has been set up at the US Bank that our deacons will supervise. This was done through another godly man from our church, Will, who happens to be the Lt. in the fire department and works at US Bank. The children were left with absolutely nothing, but at this point have many of their needs met along with having the security of the presence of relatives. They have all returned to Georgia for Thanksgiving and will return soon afterward for a funeral service. Kristina will probably be cremated as was her husband and will be buried beside her husband, whose cremains she gently placed in the ground last July. The coroner reported that Kristina's cause of death was smoke inhalation which is a blessing if that is appropriate to say. She was the only alto in our little choir, but will be missed for many reasons. So many of you have written of your prayers and thoughts for the children, our church family, and for our community and I thank you for that. Blessings on you all.