…”Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5
AWAKENED BY FIRE
We were awakened by screaming sirens and flashing lights at 2 AM one summer night. One of our sons yelled, “FIRE! At the end of our driveway!” We were shocked to see our garbage can on fire. Our truck was parked close by and we prayed it wouldn’t explode from the nearby flames. By the time the fire department left our home, the garbage can was a plastic puddle, melted like the Wicked Witch of the West. Even our asphalt driveway had become a gooey mess. The police chalked this up to vandalism. We didn’t know who would do this, but I began to pray that the culprits would be found.
A week or so later, our son who was a senior in High School, was asked by a fellow Cross Country teammate for a ride home. Our son obliged and was surprised to hear this teammate “spill the beans”. He said, “I know who set your garbage can on fire the other night.” He gave our son the names of the four teen boys who had caused the fire. We contacted our local police and gave them the names.
The police questioned each young man, along with their parents and every single one denied having anything to do with the fire. Even some of the parents were defensive with the police and stated that their sons would never do such a thing.
I started praying for each of these boys by name. I asked God to give them a heavy conscience, so burdened with guilt they couldn’t stand it anymore. This was a small case of arson, but I was concerned that these boys could go on to do more harmful and dangerous crimes. I often walked right by one of the boys’ homes, as it is on our block. Each time I walked past, I would be reminded to pray for these young men. I was comforted by God’s promises to avenge when we are wronged. I was also reminded of Psalm 32 where David speaks of his guilt and how it ate away at him. I prayed these young men would finally confess and find the same peace David did – peace with us and peace with God.
A couple months after the fire on our driveway, we were eating dinner together as a family when the doorbell rang. We were surprised to see four men at our door. We recognized the one man as the father of a neighbor boy, who lives in the same house I walked by frequently.
We sat down with these men and they explained that their sons finally confessed to setting our garbage can on fire. They said their sons were feeling very guilty and wanted to make the situation right with us. These boys offered to pay to repair our driveway and in addition mow our lawn or do other chores. We were amazed and said the driveway repair would be enough. The four fathers of these boys said we could expect a visit from the young men themselves.
The four young men came to our home the next night and met with my husband and me. They said they were sorry and gave us money to cover the cost of driveway repair. My husband looked each one in the eye and told them they were doing the right thing by confessing and coming to us for reparation. He told them that they were forgiven and warned them not to do any crazy and thoughtless vandalism in the future.
When my husband finished, I asked if I could say a word. Each of these boys looked at me as I told them that from the day we had known who had caused the fire, I had been praying for them. They all looked surprised by that statement. I wondered to myself if any of these boys had ever been prayed for before. I shared with them how I would pray almost daily for their hearts to be burning with guilt, for them to feel such a weight that they couldn’t stand up under it anymore and had to confess. I echoed my husband’s words, giving these young men my forgiveness. I told them I would continue to pray for them.
I could tell my words had an impact. One boy looked close to tears. One looked sullen and angry. The other two listened intently and looked puzzled – I think because they couldn’t understand that someone they offended would pray for them.
After that evening, as I continued to pray for these young men, I prayed their hearts would continue to soften. I prayed each of them would come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and to know their Savior as the One who forgives all their sin. I don’t know if they have come to faith in Christ today, but praying for them has been an act of obedience that has eternal value, for them as well as for me.
What began as a scary event in our lives, turned out to be the highlight of my summer. I was able to see God’s miraculous answer to prayer. It was a joy to see God use this situation for good and for His glory! Lord, awaken these young men with a fire in their hearts for You!