Maui

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Lahaina, Maui, a place I love to visit and dream of someday retiring to, even if only a in a dream. It is a place where Tim lived and served the Lord and worked on a “yellow submarine” (glass bottom boat) called the Reef Dancer, diving for the tourists. He also taught scuba diving many years. It was his home. Though I never lived there, his friends became my friends, many of which were hit hard by the fires that raged in the night, fires that took many lives, wiped out many homes and destroyed a historic town, leaving only ashes in its wake.

Seeing all the devastation on the internet leaves me at a loss to put into words my thoughts and feelings. What if that happened to me. What if I lost everything in just minutes. It could happen. 2 Corinthians 4:18 comes to mind: “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Then also Matthew 6:20: “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” What we have on this earth is only temporary.

Tim shares some of his thoughts:

Most of my friends know I lived on Maui for 17 years, 13 of those years were spent in Lahaina, renting an apartment attached to Grace Baptist Church’s Sunday school department. This is the longest I have ever lived in one location in my 53 years of life.

Many in the church, including all 3 of the pastoral staff have lost their homes. But for decades Pastor Arza Brown has been preparing them for this event as he oft repeated “This building could burn down tomorrow, but the Church would continue meeting under the Mango tree because the Church IS NOT the building, it is the people of God.” Because of those words I was not surprised to hear him share with the congregation the day after this incredible loss that 1) God is good! 2) Now is the time when our hurting world needs to see the difference Christ makes in the midst of our loss.

Please pray for this congregation – they will feel the loss no less than any others in this town, but they also have a hope to offer that this community is in desperate need of. Pray as they work to be a blessing in their surrounding community. Pray that God would be glorified thru their lives in this community suffering such an incredible loss. Pray that they would be able to share the incredible goodness of God to the many who will be questioning this very idea.

Many people are looking at the historic Banyan tree in the center of town and commenting on its survival despite the scorching it suffered and the complete destruction of all surrounding it. Few know it was planted, April 24, 1873, to commemorate 50 years of the Gospel message being preached in the islands. It is fitting, that in the midst of all the destruction this testimony remains – the Gospel endures. God’s hope cannot be taken away, but will survive no matter what happens.

The picture is of the church property a friend found and forwarded to me – left to right is: Church parsonage, Sunday School building and the main auditorium on the right. But just as at a funeral, this is merely the shell that housed a life, the life that once inhabited it is still alive and well and closer to God than ever before because of this loss. The Mango trees may have been burned, but you can still see one of them is green … and has enough room to meet under! It’s the same tree Pastor Brown used to point to when he made the above statement!

We have been called to be lights in the world. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” In the midst of so much loss, may the Christians on Maui be a light and hope in this incredibly difficult time.

A song comes to mind that is quite fitting: This World is Not My Home by Albert E. Brumley, Arr. © 1937, Ren. 1965 Albert E. Brumley & Sons (Song found on Hymnary.org)

1. This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus:
O Lord, you know I have no friend like you,
If heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

2. They’re all expecting me, and that’s one thing I know,
My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go;
I know He’ll take me thro’ tho’ I am weak and poor,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. [Chorus]

3. I have a loving Savior up in glory-land,
I don’t expect to stop until I with Him stand,
He’s waiting now for me in heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. [Chorus]

4. Just up in glory-land we’ll live eternally,
The saints on every hand are shouting victory,
Their songs of sweetest praise drift back from heaven’s shore,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. [Chorus]

Would you have the hope of Eternity with Christ if you lost everything today?

Blessings, Mari