The two dragons roared up opposing stairways and met on the landing of the third floor. They slithered speedily towards each other, desperately seeking the new source of fresh air Ladder 9 had provided by cutting a vent hole in the roof.
Inside the motel room in which the ladder led to the open roof, Clay Ennis Hand heard the loud hissing of the dragons. Turning to the door, he saw their breath rushing through the cracks around the door jambs. The pressurized smoke was filling the room fast. Every few seconds their tongues lapped under the door and he could hear their tails swiping the decorative pictures off of the hall walls, condemning them to lay among shattered glass.
"We don't have much time," Clay reasoned as he shoved some pillows and sheets against the door. "How can we do this, Lord?" he prayed, feeling the adrenaline pour into his veins.
"'Anyone who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.' (Luke 14: 33)" was His response, the quote being one of Clay's memory verses his small group was studying.
"Okay, ma'am. Here's what we are gonna do:" Clay instructed excitedly. "You're just gonna have to trust me."
At that, he took off his airpack, unbuttoned his jacket and bunker pants, and unveiled his uniform belt. He rolled her wheelchair to the heel of the ladder and strapped the chair to the ladder with two tight clove hitches with his leather belt. He grimaced, hoping it would hold.
"Code Red. Code Red. Evacuate the building immediately." Command anounced on the radio. Then the sound of sirens and airhorns echoed through the neighborhood.
The dragons pounded at the door as the sheets and pillows burst into flames. Without further hesitation, Clay scooped the golden retriever up under his left arm and stepped up onto the bed. He took one big bounce off the spring mattress and launched into the air, landing on the ladder above the seated lady.
Emerging through the vent hole, he dropped the dog to the roof and joined Ladder 9 crew in hoisting the ladder out of the lole, the lady strapped to the other end. Shoulders straining at every rung, they brought her up with just an inch of clearance to spare on each side of the hole. Slumped with exhaustion, Clay's ears recognized the familiar cadence of the rotary-winged medivac chopper. He smiled at the thought of angels on their shoulders.
A crisis of belief exists when we see God's truth unveiled. What we do next, reveals what we really believe about Him. This action of faith is a result of God's calling for us to make adjustments in our lives. With the goal of being obedient to God's commands, we cannot remain involved in the same worldly desires we once knew before making that decision to follow Christ. In knowing that God is always at work around us and that He always works for our benefit, if we choose to not make the adjustments and follow Him, we will miss out on the awesome things He had planned to either give us or allow us to participate in.
He requires total surrendering of our lives to His Lordship if we are to really experience God. If there is an area we are not willing to give up, that may be where God goes to work. Some of these areas where God expects us to make adjustments might be in our circumstances at work or home, relationships, thinking about our lives, actions (like praying, giving, and serving), and our beliefs about God. When God is in charge of these areas, we can enjoy actual freedom and peace as He carries the burdens, worries, and the responsibility for the outcomes. We assume the role of stewards and servants, paricipating in a real love relationship with Christ, and ready to act with faith when He calls us. To God be the glory.
Next week: Unit 9.
