We make plans and we expect those plans to come together. But then one day comes along when the winds change suddenly and ferociously, and your home is decimated by fire in the evening of the fifth day of a summer heat wave, five days before Christmas. This catastrophic event came after 32 years of living in the Adelaide Hills. In the mornings the air was always fresh and most evenings you could see the heavens show off their starry delights. When it rained the eucalyptus leaves released an invigorating aroma which opened up lungs you didn’t know you had. Living in the Adelaide Hills is a lifestyle of clean air, green paddocks, glorious scenery and beautiful bird life.
It was a daily blessing but when everything is gone except the clothes you went to work in that morning, suddenly you’re faced with a 180-degree turnaround. Stripped of everything you’ve souvenired from travelling around Europe, Israel, Canada and New Zealand plus family photographs taken at every milestone moment and sporting event through developing teen years. Let’s not mention the 110 year old family heirlooms.
Suddenly, priorities and perspectives change. Now, many months later, a whole new world lies before us. We don’t know what that may look like but we know we have each other and amazing friends, family and strangers who pray and help in a myriad of practical ways. While the fences need replacing and the debris needs removing, somehow, we are being redirected away from the place we’ve loved for decades. When the winds of change come, we will only withstand them when we’re standing on the Rock of our faith – immovable, unwavering, unshakable, that is what real faith is meant to be. Life can be a test. A test of priorities, a test of character, a test of what and who we are and trust. When everything in your world changes, where will you put your trust and are your feet of faith on solid ground?