We have lost everything.

Sometimes life really does go up in smoke... and in my sister's case in fire and explosions and everything else terrible that you can imagine. Last week, I spoke about living in joy when life's tragedies are at bay. For my sister, and her band, ADDISON ROAD, this is not that time in their lives. I do pray, daily, that they will reach a season of peace, when they can just breath a sigh of relief because everything is as it should be. Honestly, sometimes we never reach that season this side of eternity. Sometimes the blows keep coming one after the other, and all we can do is pray to keep our heads above water. Fortunately, we do have a God who loves us dearly and walks beside us through each difficult day, sometimes hour. A God who gives us the strength to keep fighting and a peace that passes all human understanding.

My sister spent the last week packing everything she owned, truly everything. Packing her daughter's toys and books and special blankets, her cute clothes and DVDs and food and baby supplies, seriously everything. They were going to be on the road for TWO full months. We would be visiting their home (at the end of March), long before they would be seeing it again. They were going to be traveling for two whole months, and like any good mom, and musician, and seriously, like any good woman, she packed it all. And she lost it all.

Their RV broke down (for the first time) a day before they had to be in Nevada. At the time they were in AZ, and since they had to be in Nevada for their next concert they were forced to rent rental cars and drive the whole way. It's a long story, you can read about it here, but what it amounts to is this...

Imagine you packed everything you and your child owned, and not only everything you owned, but everything you could afford to own, you don't have the money to replace it, and now you are watching it burn to the ground. I realize stuff is stuff, it's just stuff and in the whole scheme of life it doesn't really matter in the end. Having your daughter to hold, being so blessed to have not been on that RV when it exploded, walking away with your life and your husband's life and your daughter's life, that is what's truly important, and of course my sister knows that. But to know you've lost it all, well truly, it will bring you to your knees, which is exactly where it brought my sister.

Joseph's words ring loud and clear: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."(Gen.50:20) Maybe the evil of this world intended this devastation to break their spirits, to turn them back, to lead them home, to give up the fight, but God says, NO! I will use this for good, and I will continue to receive glory through the work you are doing.

I will leave you with this thought... Sometimes I do wonder why my life has been so easy, why I still have all of my possessions, why I haven't been asked to sacrifice it all for the Lord, to give up everything and subject myself to the insanity that people like my sister and other missionaries around the world have done. I don't think I have the answer to that question yet, but I do know this, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:48)

I have been given much, I don't know why, but I do know because of this, much more is required and demanded of me. I pray I never forget that, because that is my sacrifice, as small as it might be, giving all of what I've been given is all I can do. Don't deny me the opportunity to sacrifice for my Lord. In the big scheme of things there are others who sacrifice much, much more than I do, like my sister, but that doesn't mean I don't have the opportunity and responsibility to sacrifice as well.

If you are in a place where you can, and you'd like to join me in sacrificing for Addison Road, you can do so here. And if not, please keep them in your prayers.