Joshua has been blessed with a photographic memory. It is not a perfect photographic memory, but it is a very good one. This is a blessing during homeschool. I discovered it when I noticed he always seemed to be seeing something when he'd recite his spelling words. "I can see the words. I am reading the letters to you," he said with a shrug.
There are times when his picture-taking and image-storing mind is a difficult thing. Last night, Joshua had a melt down. He told us he had dreamed of the fire four to five times since it happened. He went to the truck with Bethany, Caleb and me, so he saw the fire at it's worst.
Joshua has been thinking about the fire in spiritual terms. "If God tells us all things happen for good to those who love Him, then HOW can THIS be GOOD for US?" he asked Clint and I last night. I told him I had thought about that too. It's a deep question for an 11 year old boy.
We had a very long talk about the ways Clint and I see God working good through the loss of the barn. God was very evident in our lives again. He was our refuge; we called upon His name for help. He is a very present help during times of trouble!! (Psalm 46:1) His protection of our lives and home was amazing and faith building. The children saw us grab them and only them and leave this house, so there is no doubt in their minds what we value the most. We experienced the love and concern of strangers. People have shared how our story has blessed them. While it seems like we lost a lot and it definitely has not been easy, we really lost very little. We have had unique opportunities to share our faith through the loss of the barn. Our material loss may gain spiritual rewards.
Please join us in prayer that God will continue to work through and in our family.
