Trials. Why do they have to happen? Why is this a part of every single person’s life? They come when no one is expecting them and they come with a vengeance.
March 10th started out like any other day for the Beames family but quickly turned into a day that has changed their family’s lives. As Hayley, a mother of 5, left her house to take her son Cole to scouts she left her other four children ages 13, 12, 11 and 5 at home. As 5 year old Aribella laid on her mothers bed watching cartoons, she realized she had to use the bathroom. She got up and left her mothers room. Minutes later the laptop that had been left on the bed next to where Aribella was sitting, overheated and burst into flames. The bedding was quickly engulfed and the entire room was covered in flames minutes later. Hunter, Aribella’s older brother, came up to see what was going on and saw the room. He quickly shut the door to the room and went to find his little sister. He was able to find her and get her and his other siblings quickly out of the house and to the neighbors to get help.
Many of you know that our name SMILE stands for Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal. But another acronym we love to use is Small Miracles In Life Everyday. This is our motto when trials come sweeping into our lives. Sometimes it is the only way we can see through to the end. We watch for these small miracles and even when we feel lost, alone, and sometimes aching in pain, if watched for, these miracles will shine through.
The Beames’ home was destroyed that day. There was smoke damage to the entire main and upper floors and water damage to the entire basement. There were very few things that they were able to save. And then a small miracle happened. As family and friends were helping sort through their things, they came across Brother Beames’ scriptures in their case that were used on his mission. The case was completely burnt to a crisp. But as they peeled it away, they found that his scriptures were completely intact and not damaged at all! I can’t imagine how he must have felt when something so precious that he could never fully get back was spared. As Hayley said in her own words,
“Another Testament of Jesus Christ. These are Chuck’s scriptures he got when he was baptized and also studied on his mission. They came from our room and should have been burned with everything else. He’s so happy to have this tender mercy. The Lord will always watch over us.”
This was a small miracle for their family.
Throughout this experience the Beames family has been able to recognize many miracles. Their daughter was spared from horrible injuries. Because their son closed their bedroom door they were able to save more than they would have if the door had been left open. And they have seen love pouring from friends, family and neighbors in their time of need.
Trials come in all shapes and forms. Sometimes they only last minutes or hours, sometimes they change our entire life. But as we go through them and when we feel like all is lost, look for the small miracles that can and will happen. The Lord is by our side every second we are going through our hard times. He is there rooting us on, crying for our pain, and sending us these little miracles to give us hope. As we trust in Him and see these miracles, our burden will be lightened.
Unfortunately the Beames family’s fire insurance will only cover structural damages and will not replace any damaged items in their home. Family members have set up a GoFundMe account to help with their costs. If you would like to contribute with us to their fund, you can click here to donate. Even a $5 donation goes a long way.
