The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him. . . . For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
LAMENTATIONS 3:25, 31–32
After a wildfire, the land may look completely barren. Firefighters often call an area where all the vegetation was consumed a “Nuke Zone.” A few of the larger trees might still be standing, blackened snags, but the grasses, brush, small trees, and downed logs on the forest floor may be totally burnt up. The ash left behind is often several inches deep. Even the soil can be scorched.
However, all is not dead. Sometimes while the area is still smoking, deer wander through, occasionally licking the burnt snags for minerals. The lodgepole pine cones that were tightly sealed have been opened by the high temperatures of the fire, their seeds scattered. If the fire occurs early in the summer, there may be new growth by fall: a few shoots of grass, a flower here and there. By the next spring, the area may be carpeted with wildflowers. A couple of years later, new brush provides lush food for deer and elk. The population of mice often spikes, followed by an increase in coyotes and hawks the following year. As insects move into the snags, woodpeckers drill holes into the wood, providing homes for other birds and squirrels. New trees push their way up through the soil. The forest is not the same; fire has changed the character of the area. But healing and life continue.
Sometimes our lives can feel like a Nuke Zone as well. Perhaps we have suffered the death of a loved one or gone through a divorce. Maybe we lost our job or have been diagnosed with a life-changing disease. Our days feel ashy and lifeless. We may even feel abandoned by God. However, as time goes by, new life peeks through the devastation. We begin to sense God’s compassion and love. A Bible passage may take on new meaning and joy because we have new understanding born out of the fire. In time, abundance returns. Our lives may not be the same as they were before, but healing and life continue.