John 14: Jesus Comforts the Disciples

1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

I recently had the misfortune of having my house flooded out by Hurricane Helene. It has been an experience I would not care to repeat. When we bought our house, we thought it would be safe from flooding. It has been here for over fifty years without a flood, so we thought we were good. Thanks to Helene, we lost almost everything and what we didn’t lose entirely has mostly been damaged. I was thrilled when my husband was able to save a pair of new sneakers for me! We rinsed out the salt water, washed them, and allowed them to dry, dry, dry. They seemed to have shrunk at first, but now I’ve lost some (water) weight and they FIT!

I know it’s silly to make such a big deal of a small blessing, but we must count every small blessing, especially in trying times.

What’s helped me maintain my composure (and wits) is the above Bible passage from John 14. I have a room prepared for me in heaven. All of the trappings of physical life on earth are dim in comparison. They are merely belongings. Stuff. Material things. I had a relatively new recliner and I miss it daily. LOL, but I’m going to order a new one that’ll be better than the one I had – and if it gets damaged, I’ll replace it, too.

What I can’t replace are my sentimental things. I’m a hoarder–of all things sentimental. What others would have discarded along the way, I held onto it. My Mom’s dining room table. French provincial side tables from when I was a girl. The bedside tables my mom and eldest sister painted and stained (which have long since lost most of that new paint and they are more cow-colored than provincial in style). My mom’s baby bracelet. Things of little financial value but of large importance to me and my memories.

Maybe this loss was our Heavenly Father’s way of pointing me in a different direction? Had I been focused too much on earthly things? I’m not sure, but I know my focus now is squarely where the Lord would want it to be.

I’ve been fortunate in that we had some flood insurance. Not enough to repair everything, but enough to get us started. My challenge now is to find a licensed contractor to repair the drywall that’s been removed, restore the insulation and redo the floors. Then I need a whole new bathroom and most of the kitchen redone. Baby steps.

I’ve also been fortunate in friends and family. So many people have come forward to help me, both old friends and new. I landed in the hospital just about the time FEMA denied our applications for help. I’m on oxygen now and recovery has been harder this time around. My husband has heart issues, too, so neither of us were able to do what needed to be done to stop the spread of mold. A volunteer organization came here to Florida (they are out of California) and helped hundreds of families – mine included. It’s name is Team Rubicon. They were here for three days – tarping our roof, cutting away damaged drywall, removing ruined appliances like refrigerators and washers. Things my husband and I simply couldn’t do for ourselves. We are forever grateful to them.

One sister and her husband brought an RV trailer from the Dallas area for us to live in (I’m sitting typing in it where it resides on the driveway to my damaged house). We wouldn’t have known what to do, but she jumped into help. Another sister was also hit by Hurricane Helene (she’s in western North Carolina), so it struck two sisters in two states hundreds of miles apart. Even with the damage to her own home (two trees crushed her house), she came with a third sister to help me. They filled out the spreadsheet our insurance required for replacement of personal belongings and spent time with me in the hospital which I contend definitely speeded my recovery!

An electrician came out to help us and made sure we knew what to do. They replaced damaged wiring and ensured it was safe to use the power. A roofer made room in his busy schedule and came to repair our roof in record time. The list is endless. My husband and I are so grateful for these caring and loving individuals, but also to God for showing us there are still wonderful, good and loving people all around us. It just takes asking for help and they’ll be there.

Mostly I’m beholden to our Heavenly Father. He has looked after my husband and me lovingly and conscientiously.

This leads me to those who have suffered damage or destruction from the wildfires in California. At first it’s overwhelming to deal with the losses, but know God is in your corner, sending people to help, a shoulder to cry on or a stranger with donated goods or services. He has prepared a life everlasting room for you in heaven. You just have to get past this sticky patch. And with prayer and courage, you will.

God bless you and good luck.

Kathy Carmichael