On Expedition +

THE CROWBAR

Two weeks ago, I visited what used to be our house with daughters Stephanie and Leslie, son Linus Jr, and granddaughter Willa.  We wanted to beat the heavy rains expected (and the mudslides when they came). It had already rained a bit the day before, so the drywall, now lying on the ground, was now liquid and soon all over our shoes and clothes.

We were searching to see if anything of value survived the fire. What the flames didn’t burn, the intense heat incinerated.  With the help of some firemen, we were able to break into my two metal file cabinets left standing to see if notes from the years of Bible studies I led, messages I gave, and graduate courses I taught might have survived inside. Nothing but ashes!

We searched throughout the ashes and rubble covering the property. We found a few items still intact but the intense heat and up to 110 mile and hour winds, formed dirt, sand, and debris into a dark, glass-like substance that was fused onto them, making them totally unusable. I tried to dig up an old piece of petrified wood my parents handed down to me that was on a shelf inside the house. I knew where to dig but instead of one solid piece I found 20 or 30 pieces the heat had separated.

In the back yard I searched a garden house Sharon’s brother-in-law built. The two ladders, travel suitcases, and boxes of the High Impact Church and the Divine Expedition books I kept stored were gone. We found charred fragments of the books strewn around the yard. Unfortunately, there is no one left in our neighborhood to read them, as all their homes were destroyed too.

I found some of garden tools…but no handles were left on them, totally burned and unusable. Then I found a treasure: my large crowbar. It survived. You can’t image how happy I was. My crowbar survived! Such a beautiful thing…my crowbar made it through the fire. I didn’t have to search anymore. I found one thing. A crowbar! Yeah! Who doesn’t need a crowbar!

THE DIAMOND RING

Ten days later, I went back to the house (after the rains) with daughters Laina, Kristin, and Kathryn, who had not yet been to the house and seen the devastation first hand. Along with two friends we used sifters to see if there was anything we missed before. We did find a few blackened and broken mementos that will remind our children of their family home on this side of heaven.

Some pots a bit away from the house made it, although the plants in them didn’t. We retrieved some broken pieces of Sharon’s bone China handed down from her mom and grandma. Laina, Kristin, and Kathryn thought they could make necklaces out of them.

While we wrapped up our search, I wandered next door where the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was searching for toxic-waste on my neighbors property. I took some photos to send the two single ladies who hastily evacuated. I chatted with the woman EPA supervisor who asked me if I knew who lived there. When I said I did, she said an EPA worker found something they were going to give to the police.

I asked, “What was it? Was it a gun?”

She replied, “No.”

I asked some what facetiously, “Was it a bomb?”

She answered, “No,”

The EPA supervisor then asked if I had the neighbor’s phone number. I did and gave it to her.

After making a call, the supervisor came back to me and said, “It’s a diamond ring.”

Incredibly the EPA worker found the ring in the midst of a massive amount of debris, like finding a needle is a haystack. It was tarnished yet the diamond was not damaged.

The supervisor then said my neighbor asked her to give it to me to take to her.

I delivered it the next day to the delight and joy of my neighbor. It was her great grandmothers ring. Her joyous response (it’s a gal thing) was like mine in finding my crowbar (it’s a guy thing).

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN DIAMONDS (AND CROWBARS)

While odd, our destroyed house continues to provide Kingdom memories, especially as my three daughters and I huddled together to pray. Yesterday I connected with all six of our children…that’s eternal stuff.

One of the great songs from the Jesus days was “More precious than Silver” (by Lynn DeShazo). The lyrics go:

“Lord, you are
More precious than silver.
Lord, you are
More costly than gold.
Lord, you are
More beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire
Compares with you.

WHAT IS NEXT?

I have gone from sifting through ashes to sifting through insurance and regulations with the plan to rebuild the house that was destroyed.

Next however, I travel to Phoenix for the Global Training Network leadership summit to continue our mission to multiply movements that help people around the globe rebuild broken lives through Christ.

Thanks for being part of it with us.

Because His love endures forever,

Linus for the GTN Divine Expedition team