God of the Impossible: Day Seven, Week Seven

Living in Southern California taught me a lot of lessons. One such lesson was that the physical conditions around me can change in an instant.

In November 2018, I was sitting in my house, spending the evening with my family, when I noticed the wind was wiping around the house, rattling the windows. This wasn’t strange, but the smell in the air was: thick, heavy, and smoky.

I went to the back door and tried to see if I could spot flames. High above the house behind us, above the hills beyond that, red and yellow flames danced in the night sky.

This was the beginning of the Woolsey Fire. In a matter of days, this fire changed everything. It burned 96,949 acres of land, destroyed 1,643 homes, killed three people, and forced us to rethink where we wanted to live.

It seemed to come out of nowhere and consume the area in the blink of an eye. Black, dense smoke enveloped the streets. It poured into our home through every nook and cranny. We grabbed our three sons, and our pet rabbit, jumped in our car, and headed out to a friend’s house in Studio City.

We were forced to make decisions that night we never thought we’d have to make: what to leave in our house, when to flee, where to go, and how long to stay away.

We did the best we could with what we could see and discern. Smoke and flames make decision-making difficult though. In a second, the wind would kick up, and push the fire in another direction, causing confusion and chaos. No one can direct a fire—it tends to do what it wants to do. You have to respond to what it is doing, make the best decision you can for yourself and your family, and pray.

This week’s prayer is for all the leaders of our cities to stand strong in the face of lies and deceptions. What is happening across the state is similar to a fire. Things have gotten out of control, fast. There continue to be many issues clouding the air, spiritually and morally, impacting everyone in every city. These raging fires in the hearts and minds of people produce disorienting thoughts, making decisions hard, forcing tough stands, and dividing communities. Cities could self-govern on many issues if they are willing to stand up against the state mandates. We witness this often in Huntington Beach, California.

The leaders across the state need God’s help to see what is right and wrong. They need help cutting through the confusion and panic produced by issues not based on truth. They also need strength to face their fears of the potential fallout should they govern according to the constitutional rights of the people. We are praying that those who will not take a stand against the woke agenda will be removed and replaced with those who will.

Thank you for praying with us!

Christopher Dalton