Losing Everything




 In 1988 we had a fire, where I lost almost all of my personal belongings.  I lost hundreds of books, every personal picture that I owned, many many personal mementoes. . . all of it was gone.  On remembering some of the items I lost, it was physically painful. . . I likened it to a gut punch.  

I remembered in particular, a little set of mounted antlers, that I had received from a most beloved teacher, Mr. King, my fourth grade teacher.  He has since passed away.  My memento of him gone forever.  Just one memory of several of him.  We didn't have lots of money growing up.  Mom would buy clothes at second-hand shops.  One vivid memory I had was of a pair of bright red corduroy pants.  They already had two strikes against them.  From the second-hand shop, and being bright red, I was a shy kid, not wanting to draw attention to myself, and these bright red pants I hated.

I think it was the first time I wore them to school, during the middle of the day, the zipper broke.  It went down, but it wouldn't come back up.  I didn't know what to do.  Walking around with my pants zipper fully down was hugely embarrassing.  Walked up to Mr. Kings desk at the front of the class, and whispered my problem to him.  He vainly tried for several minutes to get my zipper up.  I remember sweat breaking out on his forehead, as he struggled with that zipper.  I think he was as embarrassed as I was.  I loved Mr. King.  I traded fossils I found with him.  He gave me a little new Testament Bible for one of my fossils. . . anyway his memento I lost among many other things in the fire. . . It was like a gut punch. . . 

No one was injured thankfully, but almost all my life's possessions were gone.  From that experience I learned of the transient nature of physical belongings.  I learned their true value. 

I ministered as a chaplain in the county jail for many years.  The inmates there, most of whom there, are there awaiting trial, and therefore are still presumed innocent, lose so much. . . jobs, homes, cars, relationships, many lose possessions. . . all are gone if they can't make bail, and spend months awaiting trial, all this even if they are truly innocent.

If jail is good for nothing more, it is good for humbling a person. . . taking them down to the most basic level.  I would speak to them about the power of their relationship with God.  That is one thing which cannot be taken from you. . . everything else can be taken away, but not your relationship with God, and that gives you amazing power.  

No matter what you might face. . . no matter what you might lose. . . wealth, health, physical freedom. . . no matter what trials you might face pain, torment, persecution. . . As long as you keep your relationship with God rock solid, you will prevail.

Matthew 6:19-20  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Romans 8:35-39  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I love You my God. . .

Thank You for loving me. . . 

Thank you for Mr. King in my life. . . 

❤

Dave

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