Through the Flames

Much of my life as a youth and young adult was spent in the country. My family moved to the country to
get away from the crime and congestion of the city. My childhood home is surrounded by beautiful pine trees and nearby lakes. We built a beautiful two-story, five-bedroom log home, grew a garden, and planted fruit trees. This vacation area is called “The White Mountains” of eastern Arizona, because of the lovely snow-capped mountain peaks that can be seen in the winter. We have wonderful neighbors, friends and a church family whom we often regard closer than our own relatives.
I have so many wonderful memories and experiences living in that country house in Show Low, Arizona. In my mind, my childhood home always seemed a place of refuge, security and peace of mind in this troubled world.
These comforting thoughts all seemed to be destroyed in June of 2002. The headlines read, “Hell comes to the White Mountains.” A terrible forest fire, which would soon turn into a federal disaster, would burn and destroy over 500,000 acres of forest, 400 homes and would force 32,000 people to flee for their lives. I saw images of familiar places of my youth, in flames reaching over 200 to 300 feet, burning at 2,000 degrees. The area behind my high school was engulfed in flames and billowing smoke.
It was a tramatic experience for me and everyone involved. My parents and family spent agonizing days evacuated from their property, wondering if there was anything left of their home and land.
As I thought about the situation, I came to realize what truly was important in this life. Material things can always be replaced. What is important was that my family members were safe and that we could trust God to be with us no matter what happened. I remembered the story about Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace. Though they were not removed from the fire, they were not left alone. Jesus was with them, and carried them through the flames. The Bible says, “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flames scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. . .” (Isaiah 43:2, 3, NKJV).
Miraculously, our little neighborhood and home was spared. The fire seemed to burn around our area, leaving our house intact. It was an amazing thing to witness. Truly God answered our many prayers of help.
From this devasting experience, I learned that I could not depend on having security at my home in Arizona or anywhere else. Whatever the outcome, I knew God would help me through the flames of the forest fire and in the fiery trials of life. I found once again that security and comfort do not come from possessions, but from dependence upon God.
Ly Lan Nguyen