All That Remains
Justin and Cynthia Wagner, a couple
from Tennessee, were settling in for bed when a funny odor caught their
attention. It only took a few minutes to recognize the smell…something was burning. And with that realization, the couple sprang into action.
from Tennessee, were settling in for bed when a funny odor caught their
attention. It only took a few minutes to recognize the smell…something was burning. And with that realization, the couple sprang into action.
The smell was coming from outside of
the house, but as Justin looked from the porch, he realized the garage was
already engulfed in fire. His first reaction was to try to move the car that
was between the garage in the house, but then he noticed that flames were
already coming up underneath it.
the house, but as Justin looked from the porch, he realized the garage was
already engulfed in fire. His first reaction was to try to move the car that
was between the garage in the house, but then he noticed that flames were
already coming up underneath it.
“I told my wife, I said, ‘The car is gone just
get out of here, don’t worry about nothing else, just let the fire department
take care of it,'” he said.
get out of here, don’t worry about nothing else, just let the fire department
take care of it,'” he said.
It was the right call, but watching all of their worldly possessions
go up in smoke had to be heart wrenching. The blaze destroyed the garage, did
significant damage to their two-story home and completely mangled their car.
“Pretty much everything that we own is
gone,” Justin said.
gone,” Justin said.
But as Justin and
Cynthia sifted through the rubble the next day, they found that something very
important had survived.
Cynthia sifted through the rubble the next day, they found that something very
important had survived.
There in the ashes was the couple’s
Bible. Though much of the Bible was burned, and the edge of the pages were
singed and burned, the book was opened to John 3:16,
with the passage clear for all to read:
Bible. Though much of the Bible was burned, and the edge of the pages were
singed and burned, the book was opened to John 3:16,
with the passage clear for all to read:
“For God so loved the world that He gave his
only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have
eternal life.”
only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have
eternal life.”
“That tells you right there that God is still here with us, he’s still
here for us,” said Justin.
The couple knew God saved them that
night, and that the Bible was a clear sign that they had no need to worry.
night, and that the Bible was a clear sign that they had no need to worry.
“Maybe God let this happen to us so we could get a new start in
life,” he said. “After I had seen the word of God and I seen it on
that, I felt like God was reassuring me, ‘I saved your life through all this. I
brought you guys through this for a reason.'”
