Last year when we were all at home on endless Zoom meetings, my husband craved an outdoor project. I gently suggested a greenhouse — a project big enough to get him outside daily for about a month and something that happened to be a lifelong dream of mine.
By the end of summer 2020, I had the greenhouse of my dreams. We only had a couple more months of growing season, but we were able to reap a modest harvest of tomatoes, peppers, and onions from starter plants.
This year, I wanted a full and lush greenhouse to at least produce our summer supply of tomatoes and peppers, if nothing else. (We’re still new at this gardening thing, so I try to keep my goals modest.)
I shopped for seeds in January, planted them in their little trays while there was still snow on the ground, and grew them under a lamp in our sunroom. When they started to spring out of their little cups and the fear of a big frost had passed, I transplanted the seedlings into the greenhouse and watered and waited.
All summer the plants made great progress. In July, we finally got to snag a few tomatoes and onions for our morning egg scramble but were waiting for our big salsa harvest (onions, tomatoes, and peppers, along with some garlic and cilantro from our window garden) until August.
But then the Caldor Fire started less than 2 miles from our home. We had to evacuate with our dog, cat, and five chickens for three weeks.
God and the firefighters protected our house from flames on our property, and we were and are nothing but grateful. But we also knew we would be coming home to an absolute mess. Because our power had been turned off for over two weeks, we knew we’d be dealing with a full, rotting fridge and freezer, along with a gross deep freeze. And because our well runs on electric power, we envisioned coming home to dozens of dead plants, as well as a completely brown greenhouse.
As we rounded the corner of our driveway, my husband Roger and I were in shock. The plants lining our deck and the garden outside were all dry and crispy. But the contents of our greenhouse looked . . . well, green.
How was that possible?
Our greenhouse, in the middle of a forest fire, kept chugging along, growing dozens of tomatoes, peppers, and onions as if there was nothing going on around its walls.
After getting over the shock of finding our garden bounty, I realized this was exactly how my husband and I got through the uncertainty of knowing whether our house would be lost to the fire: We kept chugging along, doing what God designed us to do, not becoming consumed by the craziness around us.
At first, we were paralyzed by worry and fear. We spent the first week of our evacuation refreshing the NASA fire maps and checking our neighborhood social media for reports from our local fire fighters.
But after a week, we returned to our day-to-day routine: reaching out to friends to pray for them, loving on our adult children, serving at church, and serving our community. It wasn’t easy, but it was better than fretting about our house and our neighborhood day after day.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Even with stress everywhere we turn, we need to keep doing good. But when life is at its hardest, how do we?
It’s not if the next crisis is coming — it’s when. Cultivating our reserves helps us prepare for the next crisis.
During the evacuation, Scriptures I’d memorized came to mind repeatedly. Some I’d known since I was seventeen, when I took the challenge to memorize forty key Scriptures. Others I’d memorized at the beginning of the pandemic. All of them encouraged and calmed me.
Rest also helped us continue to do good during overwhelming circumstances. Starting week two of our evacuation, we started taking deep, restorative naps almost every day. It gave our minds a break from the chaos and restored our bodies. My husband and I no longer look at naps as a sign of laziness or weakness; they reset us to a healthy place.
During the crisis, we tried to focus on what God had already done for us during other trying times. We didn’t know if the house would survive, but we felt God’s peace and protection.
I’m thrilled to report our house did survive the fire. It would have been easy to put the chickens back in the coop, clean out the gross fridge, and move on. But because we want to keep remembering God’s protection, we’ve done a few things to make sure we and others never forget. We framed the evacuation notice from the fire department and hung it on our wall. We are working on a fundraiser for our community to help us stay fire safe in the future. Finally, we canned a few jars of salsa with our greenhouse miracle plants. We look forward to the next time we have friends sitting around the table who can help us celebrate, eat salsa, and remember what God has done.
Michele Morin says
Kathi, I so appreciate your voice in the world!
Kathi Lipp says
Thank you Michele!
Karen Knowles says
Wow! What an amazing story, Kathi! Thanks for sharing it today!
Kathi Lipp says
Thank you Karen!
Dawn Ferguson-Liitle says
Thank you for letting us know your home surrived the fire. I have over hear in Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland. Been lead by God to pray for the fires and the floods in different parts of the world. Pray for people who have lost their homes and love ones. One thing God has put on my heart to pray that it will make people in our world especially those not saved. Just how easily life can be taken away form you. All that we have in this world is only temporal. We could be hear today and gone tomorrow. Just like those who have lost loves ones and their homes. That they will see how important it is to know the saviour of the world Jesus. I also have been lead to pray for the people that are helping rebuild their lives. The fire fighters putting out the fires. That they will know they are the hands and feet of Jesus. That is the real Church. Not the Church building. It is helping people like this. Showing the Love of God to a broken world in theses times. Letting people know there is a God that cares. Plus his followers that care to show his love in theses difficult times. God will bless them all maybe not this side of earth. But when they leave earth. For going the extra mile for him. To show his love in this way. Should it be just listing to them brake their hearts if lost a love one or their home. Praying for them. Our giving them a meal. No matter what it is. We can say we are doing it all if saved for the love of Jesus. Showing his love in simple ways. To let people know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Even though they can’t see it at the moment. They will see it. Like you Kathi with the things from you Green house. I praise God your home was not destroyed in the fire. We are the Church in theses times and the true Church is those saved who go the extra mile to help people in need like Jesus did. It reminds me of song that I was taught at Sunday School when small. It is appropriate for today. It “Jesus hands were kind hands doing good to all” We can if able follow that song be like Jesus be his hands in theses days. Helping people no matter what part of the world we live in. Thank you Kathi for sharing your heart. Love you all incourage. In my prayers. Love Dawn Ferguson-Liitle xx
Irene says
This is a lovely story, Kathi! And it’s your life. Well done!
Beth Williams says
Kathi,
Praising God for saving the greenhouse & giving you hope in the midst of tragedy. Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart for I have overcome this world.” It is certain that trials & tribulations will come to everyone at some point. We must develop a greenhouse effect of God’s word & His past goodness towards us in our hearts & minds. Then when the crisis hits we will be prepared & not fret. For starters Jesus died a horrible death for me on the cross & saved my soul from eternal Hell. That plus the fact that He is in control of this spinning universe gives me hope in situations.
He made a way for my aging dad (82-83) to get “dunk” baptized. Dad would read New testament with Psalms & Proverbs at time he was caring for mom who was bedridden. He spoke with my pastor and said “you know them ten commandments? I broke them lots of times & need to get right with God.” My pastor made arrangements & during lunch one day borrowed a closer church & baptized him. For that I am immensely grateful-my parents were not in church at that time.
Blessings :))