Recently my friend and radio co-host Carrie shared a family story with me. Then she added,
“… but that was after the fire.”
That phrase, though I’ve heard it in conversations before, jumped out at me. It defined their moment. It pin pointed the new chapter their lives.
About a decade ago Carrie, her husband, and her son suffered a tragic house fire in which they lost just about everything but each other. Since then their story is one of two eras: Before the fire, and after the fire.
That one evening turned everything around. Before that fateful date, their life was business as usual. Working, playing, loving, raising a family, complete with highs and lows, victories and setbacks.
Then the big one. In a few short hours, everything changed.
It occurred to me we’ve all got a defining moment like that. Or at least we should. It may not be something as drastic as a house fire, but there ought to be a moment in time we can point to where we can say, “Before that day, my life was one way, but now it’s entirely different.”
It very well might be a significant life event, but how about simply a change of heart? A decision you made to follow Christ, and seek him in all things?
This life changing decision does just that. It changes the way you see your circumstances, your relationships, and even how you see yourself.
Making Jesus number one will turn your life into two eras. Let the Holy Spirit light a flame in you, and your victory story can be called “After the Fire”!