Challenged To The Core - Del Brixey

On Sunday afternoon a fire broke out on the rim of our mountain community. The fire would have to burn up and over a ridge to reach our home and the prevailing winds were blowing it away from us. We were relieved a few hours later when we received word that “mop-up” operations had begun. Fire is one of the worst fears in a mountain community. There is plenty of fuel, the terrain makes it difficult to fight and only a few roads lead in and out. We went to bed that night secure in knowing that we were “safe” or so it seemed. Twelve hours later we received a call from our neighbors that another fire had broken out on the opposite side of our valley and the strong Santa Ana winds were blowing it in our direction. Our feelings of safety were immediately replaced with the need to make a quick decision of “what to leave behind”. We had moved to the mountains in January, so our amount of “stuff” was far less than it used to be. While watching endless reports on the fire, I have had time to reflect on our decisions. I am not too sure that I would have done anything differently, but I still think about some items that I may never see again. Many of you have asked us how we decided “what to leave behind”. Below is a list of “STUFF” that we made sure to take. Now I want to challenge each of you. Think about what you would do in a similar situation. What “STUFF” would you take if you had to think about “what to leave behind”?

Scripture - “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11. One of the first things we went for were our Bibles; not the Bibles that have been passed down from one generation to another, but the ones we use every day. These Bibles are the ones that God has used to get us through 35 years of marriage, raising three children, dealing with one major illness after another and providing guidance for us to pastor His church. It’s comforting just to hold, thumb through the worn pages and recount the many memories brought to life through the comments written in the margins. I may not remember all of the “addresses” to my favorite verses, but I can visualize most of their locations in my Bible; left or right, and top, middle or bottom of the page.

Technology - “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25. Our computers and cell phones were the next items to go into the car. We use these constantly for meaningless activities, but our “technologies” are also responsible for helping us with a large part of our ministry; from putting together messages and seminars to discussing prayer requests and praises. Like it or not, technology is here to stay and I wouldn’t leave home without it.

Under & over-ware - "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.” Matthew 6:28. God’s word says that we shouldn’t worry about what we wear; but he also wasn’t recommending that we go without clothes either. We stood before our closets (and dirty clothes hampers) and made decisions about what was essential and what wasn’t. Jeans, tee shirts, underwear and jackets seemed far more important than any suits or dresses, but I still wish I had brought my kilt! That’s right I have a kilt. Several years ago, my son bought us both kilts to wear together in honor of…well in honor of something. But the memory he created is far more important than the kilt.

Family pictures - “For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.” Colossians 2:5. The older I get, the more forgetful I seem to become. Pictures are an excellent way to remember the past, even if you have a hard time recognizing what you looked like so long ago. We have a lot of pictures “stuffed” into a box with every intention of organizing them someday. So don’t fret, we won’t forget you because you are in our box and hearts!

Financial records - “Then he (Jesus) said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21. The sad fact is that even though finances are not the most important aspect of a fire; they are important to help sort things out after the dust clears. You can’t access your bank accounts, make insurance claims or in our case we can’t even get back up the mountain without proving who we are. We just went through our files and pulled out anything that had important information on it regarding our policies, accounts or bills (yes, we need to still pay them). However, is a bill still a bill if it goes to your post office box that you can’t get to? Stay tuned for more trivia!

I hope my reflections have helped you sort out your “STUFF” and check your pulse. Seriously think about “what to leave behind” if you have to face a similar situation some day. A little forethought might help you make wise decisions if you are ever under the gun to make a run for it. Also, please remember to pray for all of the families who are victims to the fires in California this week. Many of these people do not have the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Some do not even have close family or friends to help share their burden. I thank God for our friends, our church and the care group we belong to who have reached out to us already. Thanks again for all of your calls and emails.