As I write, the fire in the mountains above Colorado Springs is 98 percent contained and has consumed 18,247 acres. It has been surreal seeing the destruction. At one point there were more than 32,000 people displaced and reports indicate almost 350 homes have been destroyed. Including ours.. Including ours. We are stunned by all this and sobered by the road that lies ahead for us personally and the city as a whole.  We are keenly aware that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity where the hope of the Lord is needed by many thousands of dear souls.

Pam and I gave our possessions into God’s hands 30 years ago and we trust His wisdom, though it is difficult to lose so much. We are shaken, but not broken. We cling to the promises from our faithful God:

Psalm 23 – The Lord is our Shepherd. He has and will care for our hearts.

Lamentations 3:22-24 – His compassions are new every morning. We cling to this promise and respond with the prayer from Psalm 143:8: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.”

Psalm 34:4-7 – We remember the Lord’s character: we seek Him and he answers, delivering us from our fears. We look to Him and are radiant, not covered with shame. In our poverty we look to Him and He hears us and delivers us from our troubles. We fear Him and His angel encamps around us and delivers us. We can trust Him no matter what challenges we face.

While we don’t know what God ultimately has in mind, we do know that He is our deliverer, protector (Psalm 18), our refuge and strength in times of trouble (Psalm 46), and that even the winds obey Him (Mark 4:41).

Interested in more? Listen to our interview with NPR.