He Makes a Way

I have written in my journal for the past few weeks my thoughts and my feelings, my testimony to what I have been walking through after the fire. I have been trying to find the words that truly put into perspective what I have lived the past six weeks. I have read verse after verse in the Bible that so clearly illustrates what has occurred since the day of the fire. What God has made abundantly clear, every time I open my bible, every time I pray, and in every conversation I have….He makes a way. He always has and He always will.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

That is God’s promise. He will make a way, even in the storm, especially in the storm.

I wrote a blog post, titled Joy, in October of 2021. Although insightful, I had no idea what God was setting me up for. I could never have expected how much I would lose, yet still feel that same joy. When you put your faith in God, He prepares you, He provides for you, and He is with you every step of the way.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

August 8, 2023, I woke up to no power and my biggest concern was how I would get through the first day of school without coffee. School ended up being cancelled, a day frozen in time. Life on the island was paused that morning, until it wasn’t. Until people were caught in the flames, driving, running, swimming for their lives. I had no idea any of this was happening until days later. I felt the huge wind gusts; I even drove around in my car for an hour that day, relishing in the AC, talking to my friend Mercedes about where I would go for shelter in a hurricane. I watched the wind whip the power lines and trees around me, the waves on the ocean crash with force. I saw the smoke for the first time later in the afternoon, but when it turned black, I knew houses were burning. I called my roommate Sara to see if I should evacuate, she said, and I quote, “No you will be fine, the cops will come by if you need to.” So, I stayed put, I watched the town of Lahaina burn without really knowing because all I saw was black, thick smoke for hours. By 7, I started to see the glow of the fire. I packed a few bags and as I was about to leave, the cops came by on their loud speakers saying it was time to evacuate. I felt peace and calmness as I made my way north towards the church, knowing that the doors would be open, that I would be safe. Within the next half hour, my house and everything in it burned to nothing more than ash. I was that close to chaos, but so was God, making a way for me. And over the coming weeks, I watched as He made a way for the island and the community of Lahaina, but also for me. And in the days to come, even now, six weeks later, He has not left me.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken…You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:8, 11

The next day, I found out my house was gone. And I knew in that moment that God would bring beauty from ashes. But, I also realized how wide spread the fire was. Yes, I lost so much in that fire. Yes, I spent a year building this life in Hawaii and it was all gone, in minutes. But, it was just stuff. (I think God prepared me for this reality with all those robberies I have lived through.) What mattered was the people of this island. So, I did what I do best, I led with joy. Pure joy. And as I served the community around me, I watched God show up time and time again in not only my life, but many lives around me. Sara and I bounced around from place to place, not always knowing where we would sleep at night, but always trusting we would have a safe place to lay our heads. We showed up every morning bright and early to cook, clean, serve, minister, and navigate whatever the day brought. We went to bed late at night, woke up, and did it all again the next day. For a week and a half straight, we did not stop. But, with no social media, no jobs, and no home, what else would we have done? I suppose I could have hopped on the next flight back to Minnesota, but that did not cross my mind. People back home asked my mom, my friends, and me, “Are you going to come back home?” Ha, heck no. I had an island to serve and people to love. So, while I was busy doing that, God was at work. My basic needs were met and my full faith was in God as I continued to be His hands and feet, knowing full well that He would indeed make a way.

So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? Galatians 3:5

About a week into the chaos, Chef John from Mercy Chefs asked, “How can I pray for you?” Now, normally I am inclined to have people pray for my family or friends, but this time I personally did need prayer. I needed a place to live. Chef John prayed over me and as he did, he asked God to give me more than I could fathom. Well, the next morning, Sara and I were blessed with a beautiful two bedroom, two bathroom, newly renovated, fully furnished, ocean view condo for the next year. When I told Chef John he said, “Look what God did, from rats to ocean views!” And that is EXACTLY what God did. He blessed me in a way I could never have predicted, in a way I could not fathom, in a way I felt I did not deserve. All because I believed in Him. All because I put my full faith in knowing who God is and trusting in His faithfulness.

Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! The measurement of your generosity becomes the measurement of your return. Luke 6:38 (TPT)

So much on this island has been lost. But, I have joy in my soul because I know that everything is going to be okay. It has to be because God is in control. My deep faith in that, in Him, it allows me to keep moving forward. I have days where I feel the sense of loss, where I feel sadness, where I miss all of my shoes. But, I have learned that both joy and pain can occur simultaneously. And in this season, God has been at work in my heart, showing me just how true that is. In the months and years to come, the circumstances around me will continue to change. There will continue to be pain, grief, and tragedy, but in those times, there will also be so much goodness, hope, joy, and beauty. Why? Because God shows up. He actually is just always here, amidst the pain, amidst the chaos, amidst the darkness. And when you put your FULL trust in Him, the joy you feel, the peace you feel, even in the fire (pun intended), it’s real and genuine. It helps you to keep going, to keep showing up, to keep loving the people around you, to keep being the light, and to keep spreading the joy.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. -Psalm 20:7

Lahaina was succumbed by the flames, the whole town turned to ash in a matter of hours. But, this community, in the days that followed, they united. They came together to truly love one another. There is power in unity, power in love. As the dust settles, the trees are starting to turn green again, a sign of hope and new life. Citizen church is home to many students beginning distance learning today, a sign of God at work. A city, coming back to what is, starting to find normalcy, showing resiliency, and rising again. Beauty from ashes.