Pure Gold In The Ashes

You said, Abba, that “a little child shall lead them.”  I know you meant Jesus, who came as The Child and now rules as The King.

Yet even today, You are still using little children to lead us… aren’t you?

Like this 7-year-old girl I learned about through Janet Parshall. Host of the nationally-syndicated radio show, In the Market. She heard it from an ABC news affiliate in California… and passed it on to listeners who help support her program financially.

It’s another one of Your WOW stories, Lord. Stories that inspire us… convict us… and, then, spur us on.

Her name is Sophia. She and her family lost everything recently — including their Agora Hills home — in the Woolsey fire just north of Los Angeles. But instead of sitting numbly in despair, Sophia moved into action. spurred by Your Spirit.

Nor for herself or her family… but for others.

Sophia’s God idea? “Let’s get donations of toys for all the other children who lost their homes.” She understood how they felt. And she wanted to do something to bless them.

So she did.

The response was overwhelming. Hundreds of toys poured into the grateful hands and hearts of hundreds of children (and their families). A glimmer of Hope in an otherwise charred and barren landscape.

Sophia’s mom, in posting her appreciation on Facebook, added: “These children want to help and want to feel in control of something in this whirlwind we call Life. She feels a little more confident of her place in the world today.”

“Do nothing out of selfish ambitions or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others.”  (Philippians 2:3-4)

Janet’s soul was pierced by Sophia’s “stunning and selfless” act. How could mine not also be, Lord?

A 7-year-old takes a tragedy and turns it into a blessing for others? Not eventually… but immediately? Would that have been my response?

Would I sit on the pile of ash that used to be my life and just ponder my loss? Or would I find a way to recognize the loss in other people’s lives and bless them?

We all will have those moments of devastation. Maybe now is the time to stop and ponder: When those whirlwinds come, rather than counting our loss, can we — will we — ask You, Lord to give us creative ways to bless other people’s lives?

This is what You intended all along… isn’t it, Lord? To further “milk” this tragedy for eternal glory by turning it into even more good… for even more of those who love You? (Romans 8:28)

Would you please thank Sophia, Lord? For those of us who are personally touched, not by Woolsey fire… but by her witness? Let it be the spark that brings Your purifying fire to our own hearts…

… testing the quality of our work this side of Heaven. (1 Corinthians 3:12-14)

Awestruck,

Abba’s Girl

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *