Thought for Today
Exodus 3:13 But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"
Psalm 44:1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:
Luke 1:72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant,
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.
The recent fires in California have motivated Greta and me to once again initiate discussions about what we might do if called to evacuate our home. It is hard to plan ahead for an unexpected, unanticipated emergency. It is almost impossible to imagine the unimaginable. Where would we go? Which car would we take? Would we even be able to drive out, or would we have to evacuate on foot? If we drove, would the roads be passible? Many of us saw the news footage of California residents having to abandon their cars in the gridlocked traffic.
One of the consistent themes I have observed in all the discussions is the question of what to take. If someone knocked on your door and told you to get out immediately, what would you grab on the way out? During a recent online family visit with relatives in Texas and California, one person shared a story about folks who keep a closet near an exit from their home completely stocked with ‘go-bags’ containing what they plan to take. If one lives in an area prone to evacuations, that is a good idea. It may be a bit ‘over-the-top’ for the rest of us; but, we all need to think about what we would take.
My first thought is to grab the computer on which I am typing this . . . plus the charging cable, of course. The daunting task confronting those returning to the ashy remains of their homes in California is exacerbated by the loss of their personal information. (note to self: remember to download the smartphone app for our insurance that our son told us about!)
I frequently refer to our ancestors-in-the-faith. Christians are at the end of a 2000+ year ‘pipeline’ of faith development. Christianity evolved out of Judaism which reaches even further back into the past. Our scriptures include stories that were shared around campfires and in tents thousands of years ago. I have numerous Bibles, each with its own ‘back-story,’ but there are 2 special Bibles I would want to take. One is the Bible I received when I made my public confession of faith and was baptized at Bethany Christian Church in Houston. It is a Revised Standard Version, printed in 1953 and recovered several times. There are countless notes scribbled in the margins, multiple verses highlighted . . . and I have spent a lot of hours engrossed in its pages. I have a King James Bible Greta gave me in our first year of marriage. I still treasure that thoughtful gift.
But, as I think about my own personal ancestors-in-the-faith, I remember that I have the Brewer family Bible from my maternal great grandparent’s farm on a stand in our family room. It contains the birth, marriage and death information for those personal ancestors-in-the-faith. I know that I could probably recreate the information from online resources, but there is something especially reassuring reading about my beloved grandfather’s birth in his mother’s handwriting.
Yes, I would want to take a razor, toothbrush, several changes of clothes. But, the thought of losing those treasured Bibles is disturbing. So much of who I was, who I am and who I still aspire to be is enshrined in those books. They are only books . . . but they are much more for me because of their ‘back-stories.’
If someone knocked on your door and told you to get out immediately, what would you grab on the way out? Think about it. Make plans. Mark where those treasured items are. Irrespective of who we are or where we live, it is possible for us all to face the unimaginable, the unexpected and the unanticipated. But, also, realize that as children of God, all of us are more than mere memories, more than those treasured items. We are beloved children of the Creator of all Creation. The God who loves us so much, he sent Jesus, the Christ, to show us the way back home.
Stay safe, love God, trust God,
Pastor Ray