On Sunday morning, May 26^th, in Ballwin, Missouri, Janet and I had the privilege of hearing our youngest son, Kyle, preach a sermon about discerning God’s will. Among other points, he said that when you face difficult decisions or are unsure of the way forward, you should seek God’s will. God may open or close a door. He may put the right person in your path or bring clarity to the thoughts swirling about in your head. His guidance may be immediate and obvious or it may take considerable time and be more obscure.

Toward the end of the lesson, Kyle invited everyone to join him for a few moments of silence. He asked each listener to offer a silent prayer to God, seeking his guidance on 2 or 3 decisions we were facing. Without consulting each other, Janet and I each offered a similar prayer. It went something like this…

God, we’ve been on the road for nearly 5 years, living in and serving from our RV. What’s next for us? What will it look like? Where do you need us? Should we stick with our tentative plan to settle down in East Tennessee? Should we keep on Sojourning? Should we hang on to our RV?

On Tuesday morning, the day after Memorial Day, less than 48 hours after offering those prayers, my phone rang…

“Hello.”

“Is this Mr. Johnson?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I’m the owner of the Whispering River RV Resort in Walland, Tennessee. Are you the owner of the Thor Windsport being stored here for the week?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. There was a fire at our campground yesterday afternoon and your RV was one of five that burned to the ground. I’m so sorry.”

And just like that, we had our answer.

I’m not suggesting God sent fire from heaven to burn down our RV…though he certainly could have. (For more on that, read about the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18.) I learned long ago not to put God in a box and try to explain what he is or isn’t doing. I simply have faith that he answers prayer in his perfect timing and consistent with his perfect will. I know he’s active in the world and that, for Christians, our stories end well. That is enough.

I got off the phone and took a deep breath. For reasons related to personality type and my military training, I didn’t panic, get angry, or become emotional. Instead, I remember having 3 distinct thoughts:

1. God is good…and good will come from this.
2. What did we lose that cannot be replaced?
3. What are the ramifications? We’re homeless now. Where’s the checklist for that?

I broke the news to Kyle and Janet who, like me, were shocked but remained calm. I asked Kyle to offer a prayer for our situation and he obliged. (Least he could do since he was the one who told us to pray for discernment!) After a few phone calls to notify various family members, we took the next logical step: going out for Mexican food with long-time family friend Brett. Between bites of Arroz con Pollo, the magnitude of this life setback began to sink in.

Fast forward 6 months from that fateful morning, and I am compelled to proclaim the following:

While I didn’t get emotional on the morning of that fateful phone call, I’m a bit misty-eyed this afternoon thinking about what has transpired over the past 6 months. (Or maybe Janet is cutting up onions in our kitchen…yeah, it’s probably that.)

To recap…

• No one died. All 5 RVs were empty of people at the time. Based on the burn pattern, investigators suspect the fire started with the RV cattycorner to ours, but they don’t know why.

• We had insurance. Turns out really good insurance. I know people who are uninsured or under-insured for certain tragedies that befall them. That was not our case.

• After the fire, hundreds of people reached out to us to offer their prayers and well wishes. Dozens of friends and family members offered up rooms in their homes, along with available RVs for us to live in indefinitely, and even second homes and vacation cottages, at locations all over the country. Those offers touched us to the core. It felt like God was unleashing a giant safety net, in the form of our friends, to ensure a soft landing. You all are the best!

• Most of what we lost is replaceable. It took some time to get new passports, birth certificates, our marriage license, etc. I lost most of the gear from my AT hike, all my tools, and all my fishing gear. We lost most of our clothes, all of our winter clothes, and all my Air Force uniforms. I lost the watch my late grandfather had given me that he received for his many years of service at Goodyear. The precious picture of our RV that our daughter-in-law, Rachel, drew is gone, along with my 30-year-old collection of CDs. Sadly, the crocheted Fob W. Pot doll, stuffed with beard hair, that my sister-in-law Carol made me, is gone. Again, most folks who have experienced house fires have had it much, much worse, so you won’t hear us complain. It’s mostly just stuff…and God has spent the past 5 years teaching us to not get too caught up in stuff.

• We found a nice apartment in Maryville, TN, as the search for a house continues. A 1 bedroom apartment may seem small, but not to folks who have lived in a 350-sq-ft RV for nearly 5 years. It’s next to a pool and a workout room…and, between us, we’re down about 45 pounds since the fire! Pass the turkey.

• We found an incredible church home and Christian friends at Eastside church of Christ. They took us in, moved us in, and gave us a “pounding” of food, kitchen supplies, and other items to get us re-established. What an amazing, loving, group of people! Thank you all!

• Our fire-induced break from Sojourning gave us the time, oddly enough, to finish our book about Sojourning. Still, our plan is to continue Sojourning in 2020, on a more limited basis. We’ll stay in cabins, for now, and eventually hope to get a small camper. 

• One of our main goals will finally be realized on December 13^th when Janet’s parents, Raymond and Shirley, move in with us. They are dear Christian people and it will be an honor to have them live with us for the remainder of their lives. And if you don’t think their presence will inspire a future book or screenplay, The In-Laws, you don’t know me very well!

A final note…While going through some boxes this week in preparation for our move to a larger apartment, I came across an old suitcase, which contained an old box, which contained my grandfather’s Goodyear watch! Turns out it wasn’t lost after all!

Are we thankful this Thanksgiving season? You bet we are!

God is good.

God is faithful.

Praise God!

Happy Thanksgiving!