Before and Then.

Our little historic town is so pretty and full of life, particularly this time of year with all the mature dogwood trees  and tulips in full-bloom.

The drive to my daughter’s pre-school is short, only about five minutes, but I enjoy it during the spring because its like nature has colored a new picture to show us each day.

There are also several old houses we pass along the way that I love to look at. One in particular is a creamish, craftsman style house with a lot of  “character”.

The owner of the house is often found sitting on the front porch in his brown wicker rocker, gazing at the world as it passes by.

Since he’s there almost every day, I call him the town watchman. [smile]

Sometimes there’s a little guy with him…looks to be about four or five, maybe his grandson. I’ve seen the guy pulling him in a wagon down the side-walk a few times. Cute little kid.

Recently there have been some big ladders, trucks and tools making a big fuss around this old house. Seemed like a much needed new roof and some repair on rotted wood was taking place.

But a few days ago the morning drive took a drastic scenery turn. As I pulled around the curve towards the old craftsman house, I noticed black smoke and orange flames were shooting out of the upstairs window.

No fire-trucks yet, no police yet  -it was the raw scene of a fire with frantic people, flames and smoke.

My heart sank as I slowly drove by.

A few feet down the road firetrucks zoomed past us and my sweet little girl sat in the back seat and prayed this prayer,

“Dear Jesus, help us through this day. Be with the man and his fire. It’s so sad…”

It was sad.

But what made my heart ache even more was what happened later that day.

That afternoon the fire trucks were gone, the police were gone, even the American red cross was gone. But there on the front porch, amidst yellow caution tape, and a red UNSAFE sign nailed to the corner post of the house, sat our town watchman.

In his brown wicker rocker.

His head looked down into his hands to the papers he held.

A man in a black car stood at the edge of his driveway on a cellphone. He looked flustered, angry and it seemed like he was trying to get our town watchman off the dangerous front porch.

But there was no budging.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

The look on his face screamed that this was his home, his place, his station…he wasn’t leaving.

The truth is, our town’s watchman’s life had a redefining moment that day. The house he called home was no longer safe. The porch in which he sat was now filled with rubble. Life as he knew it was about to change.

As I watched him sit on that porch -holding tight to what he had known- I could identify with the feelings his soul worked through.

As days, weeks and months will pass he will now say things like, “Before the fire.” or “After the fire.”

Seems like no matter how much we don’t want tragedies, heartache or painful experiences to define us…they do.

~The rejection.

~The cancer.

~The job loss.

~The divorce.

~The affair.

~The death.

~The financial ruins.

~The depression.

~The fire.

As we travel through the the’s of life, we will crave the moments of joy we had: before.

But today, God’s teaching me something. While we cannot go back to the life we “once” had, we also don’t serve a God who is a “once” God.

He’s a “then” God.

~Jesus dies. Then, He rose.

~You were sick. Then, Jesus healed.

~Life feels desperate. Then, Jesus came in.

~You were broken. Then, God put you back together.

I don’t want to look back on days behind me and think, “It will never get better than those days.”

Because if that’s the case, we might as well all pack it up and be done.

Restoration has already begun on that old craftsman house. Each day the workers continue to rebuild and repair. And I know it won’t be long before our town watchman is back at his post, his front porch.

And while he may never be the same, his then is just ahead.

Letting go of what is gone is painful and holding tight to what is ahead is hard. But in Christ, our repair and restoration is coming…our then is on its way.

“…You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” -Isaiah 58:12