Shoulder To Shoulder #1241 -- 5/31/21 ----"Tried As If By Fire"
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics
selected to motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ.
It is a personal letter of encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil,
but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day,
which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity
which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice, which
costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica,
for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
Shoulder To Shoulder #1241 -- 5/31/21
Title: "Tried As If By Fire"
My Dear Friend and Fellow Kingdom Seeker:
Greetings on another beautiful Spring day, this time from our special place in Greer, AZ, up in the beautiful White Mountains -- known as "Arizona's best kept secret." It is a place Jo Ann's mother used to talk about often, and I still remember the day six years ago when we first turned onto State Route 373 leading to this little town. It is probably one of the shortest highways in the states, only six miles in length, dead-ending on the south side of town in a gravel parking area at a concrete barrier protecting Government Springs, one of many springs in the region.
Greer was founded around 1879 by Latter-Day-Saint Willard Lee and his family from Utah, and was initially called Lee Valley because it is situated in a long narrow valley of probably two or three miles through which runs the Little Colorado River. According to Arizona Place Names (Byrd H. Granger, 1960) and The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine (1918, Volumes 9-10), the Post Office requested a shorter name for some reason, and the town name was changed to Greer, named after Americus Vespucius Greer, a town planner who had recently moved to the area.
This week, however, is the 10th anniversary of something that almost destroyed Greer. Had that happened, the events of our own lives for the past six years would have been very different. It was on Memorial Day week-end that the infamous Wallow Fire came close to destroying the entire town and its 140 years of history. And that's what I want to write about today. First, though, take a look at . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ Good News For Pro-Lifers: The Texas Legislature has apparently passed a bill expected to be signed by Gov. Gregg Abbott that would outlaw abortions in Texas IF the Supreme Court ever votes to completely or partially overturn Roe vs. Wade. Read the interesting article at https://thepatriotjournal.com/texas-trigger-bill-supreme-court/?utm_source=actengage&utm_medium=email .
+ A Venezuelan Talks About Socialism: Thousands of Venezuelans have fled their home country and illegally crossed the border into the United States. Most of them are middle and upper middle class people who have seen their livelihoods, safety, and freedoms decimated under their current dictator. This migrant is certain that Americans who support Socialism simply are ignorant of the truth about Socialism. For an interesting read, go to https://www.dailywire.com/news/venezuelan-migrant-fleeing-across-u-s-border-slams-americans-who-dont-know-the-reality-of-socialism?itm_source=parsely-api&utm_source=cnemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=052921-news&utm_campaign=position2 .
+ Courts are Upholding Freedom of Worship During COVID-19: It appears that many courts are coming to the defense of America's First Amendment rights to the freedom of assembly and the freedom of worship. Here is one example of a growing number of court cases that are either overturning or restricting governors and mayors from prohibiting churches from meeting. Go to https://www.dailywire.com/news/gov-gavin-newsom-no-longer-allowed-to-restrict-houses-of-worship-ordered-to-pay-1-35m-settlement-to-church-over-lockdown?itm_source=parsely-api&utm_source=cnemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=053021-news&utm_campaign=position7 .
REACTIONS ABOUT THE PIANO:
i was not expecting the responses I received concerning last week's letter about the piano. Few letters have received so many comments as it did. I thought I'd share a few with you so you could get a better feel of just what makes the experience such an emotional one. It was the lives who were touched in some way by its presence and use over those 80 years. For example:
1. Ben Clayton was the best man at our wedding. Ben was in the Air force at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson and was invited to church by some fellow airmen just minutes after coming in from a "night on the town". To their surprise, he agreed, freshened up, and attended services with them. Soon his voice caught the attention of choir members, and he began singing in the choir, and a few months later committed his life to Christ He ended up as one of those "four guys" I mentioned in my last letter who gathered around the piano singing quartet music. He went on to attend college at GCU, became a pastor, re-enlisted in the military as a chaplain, retired as a Colonel, and returned to pastoring in Longview, Texas, where he currently serves as Minister to the Seniors and Nursing Homes. I could not have asked for a better best man and longtime friend. I miss hearing him sing. Ben sent the following response to my story about the piano.
Here's what he wrote:
================
Bob and Jo Ann
Loved the piano story! Brought back so many memories of your dad and your house during those years at 22nd St Baptist. I was one of those young people, in those Sunday School youth programs, as your dad so beautifully and skillfully played those much loved songs and choruses each Sunday that we all loved so much! And all the other times we gathered there just to enjoy his playing and to sing together.
That piano was such Focal point in a lot of what we did and I can see it so clearly in my mind. Also the enthusiasm and love your dad always projected as he played and also his beautiful singing. I know how sad you and Jo Ann must be to leave it. Those were great times and I have great memories of them.
I turned 83 today, but there are no fonder memories in my life’s journey than those.
Our prayers go with you as you take yet another journey in your faithfulness to serve our Lord.
Sandie and I have both been hit hard health wise this year; both had Covid and both have spinal stenosis and severe arthritis with leg pain. We don’t do a lot, but I still play guitar for church Praise Team each Sunday. This Sunday I am playing and singing the special music; “I found a lily in my Valley”.
Prayers for success and joy of service as you go!
God Bless, Ben
2. Another friend, Kathy Jatho, and her husband, Larry recounted a little different perspective on the piano. I had the privilege of seeing Larry come to faith in Christ in the late 1970's, and then baptizing the two of them. Larry was at the time the Iowa State Director of Disabled American Veterans. Kathy wrote, . . .
Bob this was so beautiful! It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing! Give my love to Jo Ann. Praying for you!! Larry just said he remembers helping move that piano in Ankeny.
One could hardly forget such strength-intensive encounters with the piano. Its unique shape and oppressive weight always made it a challenge.
WHAT MAKES GREER, GREER:
Greer is actually like many towns and villages throughout Arizona -- way stations, homesteads, trading posts, and destinations reached only by rough, frontier roads and the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. It is truly a story worth knowing as the tiny settlement brought hardy pioneering families to the eastern Arizona Territory. Settlers from the east, and mostly from the northern territory of Utah -- families such as the Willard Lee's, Amberian Englevason, Americus Vespucious Greer, and Ellis Whitney Wiltbank -- arrived in the late 1870's and 1880's and built homes, establish farms and ranches, and built a saw mill where the East and West forks of the Little Colorado River meet.
Greer was originally from Alabama, moved to Texas where he served as a Texas Ranger. Following his baptism into the Mormon faith in 1854, along with other members of the family, they migrated to Salt Lake City, Utah, and later circumvented the Grand Canyon around its easternmost end and settled in Greer. Wiltbank was born in Salt Lake City and moved to Greer in the late 1880's. Englevason was also born in Utah. A number of the original settlers' cabins remain in Greer today, some of which have been modernized and rented out to vacationers. A large number of descendants of Greer's original settlers still live in the Springerville/Eager/Greer area.
Greer's one-room schoolhouse was constructed in 1897 and a post office a year later. Throughout following years this quiet town of log cabins scattered along the Little Colorado and into the heavy forested mountain slopes drew the attention of many famous people. This included western novelists Zane Grey and James Willart Schultz, engineer and writer Stewart Edward White, author Mary Roberts Rinehart, and legendary movie star John Wayne. Wayne actually purchased a large ranch between Greer and Eager, called the 26 Bar Ranch known for its huge white show barn and Hereford cattle. The story goes that Wayne changed the name from the Milky Way Ranch to the 26 Bar ranch in honor of the 26 bars he had frequented over the years. During the 1960's and 1970, Wayne was a common figure in Greer, Eager, and Springerville, often riding in their various parades.
Along with numerous celebrities like country singer George Strait paying visits to Greer, U.S. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover also came from time to time. During one of President Hoover's stays, he gave local the "Grandmother of Greer", Molly Butler, a copy of the White House Cookbook from which she derived her now famous Prime Rib recipe.
One of the most prominent early residents of Greer was author James Willart Schultz, originally from New York. He moved to Montana where he worked as a guide in Glacier National Park and married Natakhi, a Pieagan Blackfood Indian woman. They had a son named Hart Meriam Schultz in honor of Schultz' boyhood friend. Following Natakhi's death in 1903, Schultz, also known as Apikuni and Appekunny, took his son who went by the name of Lone Wolf and began working and writing in Arizona. He made his first visit to Greer in 1909 and became the first non-resident to build a cabin in the town. That cabin became his seasonal hideaway where both he and Lone Wolf wrote numerous books.
Schultz died in 1947 on the Windriver Reservation in Wyoming at age 87 and is buried on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, but his cabin remains today and serves as the central feature of the Butterfly Museum and Lodge which is open to the public.
All of these names have contributed to the mystique and history of Greer so that today it is one of the most sought after places of respite from hot triple-digit temperatures in the valleys of the Southwest. As it has modernized over the decades, the conflict between modernization and historical tradition, between business-driven opportunists and historical preservationists was inevitable. In the early 1990's an area director of missions saw the vision for a Summer resort ministry to children. A subsequent attempt at Sunday worship services proved unsuccessful, but then in 1995 my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Jo Ann's sister) came to Greer and immediately was welcomed to begin holding chapel services in the bar at Molly Butler Lodge.
THE NEAR-DEATH OF GREER:
Now, why do I give you such a comprehensive history of Greer? -- and that's not nearly half the story. It's because the story almost entirely ended just ten years ago this week. It was on Memorial Day, 2011, that two cousins, in spite of campfire restrictions prohibiting open fires, built a campfire in the Bear Wallow Wilderness area and then left it unattended. The end result was the largest forest fire in Arizona history. In less than seven days the fire traveled more than 20 miles "as the crow flies" and reached the outskirts of Greer, threatening to totally obliterate the entire community.
The fire destroyed over 538,000 acres of forest land including a small section that burned over into New Mexico. That is more than 841 square miles, 1/3rd the size of Yellowstone National Park. One of our chapel members who owns a cabin in Greer, Steve Williams, was flying from Las Vegas at the time, greatly concerned over the welfare of the community, the cabins of friends, and his own cabin. Unannounced, the pilot diverted the plane so passengers could view the fire. While news channels were reporting that Greer had been destroyed, others were praying, and praying on the basis of God's promises for His children.
Steve and his wife, Claudia, are strong believers in God's promises, and God had given him a promise made in Isaiah 43:1-3 ----
...."Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, YOU WILL NOT BE SCORCHED, NOR WILL THE FLAME BURN YOU. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;..."
While other structures within less than 100 yards of their cabin were destroyed, Steve's house and the land around was saved. Here is part of Steve's essay on the experience, minus the extraordinary pictures he included:
It was a warm, dry and windy beginning to the 2011 Memorial Day weekend in Arizona’s high country. Given these weather conditions restrictions had been put into place forbidding all open fires, including campfires. Little did I and Claudia know of the promises of God that we would be standing on for the next several weeks as the Wallow Fire exploded in the midst of these fire-perfect conditions become Arizona’s largest wildland fire ever!
We made an early but brief trip to our cabin located at an elevation of 8,500 feet in the Arizona village of Greer to drop off items we would be needing for our stay that summer. We had to return to our full time home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area so I could travel to an annual industry conference being held in Las Vegas on June 1st before returning to Greer once the conference concluded. Greer is listed by Wikipedia as being the 5th highest city in the United States and has been in our family for nearly 50 years.
As we were making our way back to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area two Arizona cousins established their Memorial holiday weekend campsite near the Bear Wallow Trailhead, which is also located in the White Mountains of Arizona, near Hannagan Meadows, south of Greer. Later some referred to their decision to start a campfire on May 29th, in the midst of the hot and windy conditions, as being a “lapse in judgement”. Their campfire quickly spread outside of its containment area, giving birth to the Wallow Fire. The Wallow Fire ultimately scorched approximately 538,000 acres in northeastern Arizona, or more than 841 square miles, 1/3rd the size of Yellowstone National Park, before firefighters were able to declare it fully contained on July 8th. The cost to subdue the fire ended up being more than $79 million dollars. It destroyed 36 structures and at one point forced nearly 10,000 residents to be evacuated.
On June 1st I boarded my flight from the DFW airport to Las Vegas to attend the annual industry event while the Wallow Fire continued to devour huge chunks of the Northeastern Arizona forests. Throughout the conference I was unaware of how large the Wallow Fire had become until receiving a phone call from my step-sister on June 6th while walking to the conference venue. She informed me that Greer was being evacuated. Even though she isn’t a believer I advised her that the entire matter was in God’s hands, and that His will shall be done.
I stopped to speak to the pilot of the Boeing 757 aircraft as I boarded my flight to return to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area on June 7th. I explained to him that we owned property in Greer, the small town in Arizona that was evacuated the day before and that I would be grateful if he could fly closer to Interstate 40 on our return route so I could have a better view of fire. I-40 is located just south of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. The typical route from Las Vegas to the DFW airport usually closer to the Grand Canyon, or nearly 100 miles further north. During the flight, without any fanfare or special announcement, I noticed that we were flying East along I-40 as I had requested! The smoke from the fire was so thick that it wasn’t easy to see how close to Greer the fire had gotten.
The one thing that was apparent by the smoke plume was how ferocious the winds were. I prayed fervently for protection over Greer during the entire flight back to DFW. During my prayers I had repeated visions of multiple hands praying over the Greer Valley as others also were praying for God’s protection of Greer against the rapidly approaching fire!
That night was incredibly stressful as we could only watch a picture of the approaching smoke coming down the East Fork Little Colorado River canyon from a webcam located near the Molly Butler restaurant in downtown Greer (see actual footage below).
On June 8th the Wallow fire reached Greer. Unfortunately no official information was being reported out of Greer. That notwithstanding I continued to receive calls from well meaning but non-believing relatives claiming to know that a firestorm had raced through Greer, wiping it out. Given our not receiving credible and timely information I “stomped” around my upstairs office in North Texas asking for God’s protection over the Greer Valley searching His word for His promises to counter all of the negativity we were receiving. I was stunned when reading the Isaiah 43:1-3 promises as His words to us were absolutely specific to our situation:
With tears welling up in my eyes due to how faithful God is to those who believe in Him, I very loudly and repeatedly claimed this promise...all the while still “stomping about”! In 1 Samuel 3:11 the LORD proclaims to Samuel that “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle”. Over the years of praying to God I would experience “tingling” along my spine when I was in accordance with God’s will for my life and for my prayers. As I was claiming the Isaiah 43 promises my spine was tingling like crazy!!
Later that evening one of our Greer neighbors who had been evacuated advised that her husband, one of the volunteer Greer firefighters, had himself been evacuated from the front lines of the fire. As the firefighters were being pulled out of the Greer Valley he told her that he observed flames racing down the Amberian Point very near our homes, likely destroying their home. Given their proximity to our cabin if their home were destroyed, then ours likely would have been too.
Following my conversation with my neighbor I located a Google Maps option that allows one to utilize real time satellite images look for heat signatures thus tracking where a fire is or had been. I let her know later on that I could not locate any heat signature near either their home nor ours but also cautioned her that the data available to us, although supposedly current, could have been delayed. However, at least there seemed to be some hope contrary to the “doom and gloom” we had been receiving from the many “naysayers”!
Thursday, June 9th began full of trepidation as there was absolutely no news regarding the status of Greer. Someone posted on the internet that a traffic helicopter from Phoenix CBS affiliate Channel 3 had been sent up to Greer to survey the damage given this lack of information, and that they would be broadcasting live once they arrived. I was able to locate the link to the live feed and quickly called for Claudia to join me in my office as it was already past the time scheduled for them to begin the live feed.
As the broadcast began the helicopter journalist advised that they had arrived to the Greer Valley 30 minutes earlier but could not proceed until just now given how thick the smoke was. We continue to believe that our Father God had kept the valley closed to the helicopter that day until we had been able to access the live feed so we could behold His mighty answer to our prayers!
As the helicopter entered the Greer Valley from the north he apologized in advance to those who might see destruction that they weren’t prepared to see. We were encouraged to still see green forest at the north and west sides of the valley, although the view of the Amberian Point and both east and west river canyons remained obscured by the heavy smoke (see actual helicopter image below)!
The first close up view shown by the pilot was of the remnants of one of our neighbor’s house on the East Fork that had been destroyed by the fire. It was shocking to see a portion of their roof that had been blown up into a tree given the ferocity of the fire storm! The helicopter hovered over the burnt remains of our neighbor’s cabin but then, as he turned to the right, Praise God, we could see the white roof of our cabin, as well as the roofs of our neighbors, including the roof of our firefighter neighbor’s roof, still intact and unharmed! Our prayers had been answered!!
It wasn’t until June 20th that the local officials declared it safe enough to lift the Greer evacuation order. Shortly thereafter many Greer property owners began their pilgrimage back to ascertain what clean up would be required. Most expected to find spoiled food, as the electricity had been turned off for weeks, and given that the southern end of the valley had been covered in thick smoke for many hours, it was likely that many would also return to some degree of smoke damage that would need to be remediated.
We had to drive through the small towns of Springerville and Eager to return to Greer. It was surprising to see how many smoke/fire remediation companies we observed as we passed through heading up to Greer. This was a reminder to us that even though Father God had kept the fire from taking our cabin there was a definite possibility that we too should expect to find smoke damage when we arrived given that our cabin was located near the dense smoke and we too have gable vents present in the attic area that allow air exchange in the attic; i.e. to allow the attic to “breathe” but would have also allowed the heavy smoke to enter our cabin!
On the drive on highway 260 up to Greer from the Springerville/Eager area the charred the hillside was a stark and sober reminder of what had just happened. As we approached the turn off to Greer, which is still approximately 5 miles from the center of Greer, we were pleased to still see quite a few green pine trees. However, as we drove into the downtown Greer area, it was frightening to see how charred the eastern canyon wall was. The east facing side of the Amberian Point also seemed to be completely decimated. We feared for the safety of Montlure, the Presbyterian affiliated summer church camp which is nestled back in the east fork canyon, just below the Amberian Point devastation that we could see, as they had to have been directly in the path of the firestorm.
Many smoke/fire remediation companies were at work in Greer as we drove through the town to get to our cabin. As we parked we again gave thanks to the Lord for sparing our cabin. We then unlocked the doors and stepped in to explore the extent of our smoke damage. What we found was stunning; by the grace of God there was ABSOLUTELY NO smoke damage! Not even a hint of smoke smell, not even up in the attic! We exited the cabin by the back door, went down the steps of the deck and got on our knees to again thank our Lord for His benevolence! After cleaning out the spoiled food we decided to take a walk toward Montlure to see what was left even though what we could see from a distance didn’t look too encouraging.
Prior to the fire one could always tell once you had entered the Montlure property because as you cleared the gate, if you looked to your left, you would be greeted by their white cross. When we looked left this time, past the charred ground and trees, we could see the white cross without any visible scars, and even surrounded by some unburnt trees! Our next destination was toward the center of Montlure where their main buildings were located, which we again fully expected to see burned and surrounded by charred earth given that the entire forest around it had been decimated.
However, once again our Father God, who had stilled the stormy waters of the Galilee and caused hailstones to fall onto the Egyptians from a clear sky, again showed us who is in control of our world, as the main buildings were intact AND, they were surrounded by green grass, not charred earth! God had not allowed the firestorm to ravage the main camp and even protected a buffer of some green pine trees and living aspen trees even though devastation was all around! It was quite inspiring to say the least!!
Greer continues to heal from the effects of the Wallow Fire and although the evidence of the devastation that occurred in 2011 is easily seen, new growth is abounding everywhere.
This has been our witness and we continue to stand on His truth and promises! Revelation 19:16 ----
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Stephen and Claudia Williams
FINALLY:
The rest is history, and Jo Ann and I are beginning our sixth year of ministry in this amazing little village. Ten years later there are still important lessons to be learned. A few have learned the secret of trusting God and His promises, as Steve and Claudia experienced. Others have come away with bitterness, anger, jealousy, or fear and apprehension. Forested areas of the world are always potential tinder boxes due to lightning strikes, natural debris buildup or human carelessness. There are more fires caused by lightning than by humans. But the tantalizing beauty of such areas continue drawing people to them.
There are many parallels we can draw and lessons we can learn from the Wallow Fire. I won't take time to enumerate them; you can find them in your own heart and mind. However, there is one thing from which I can't get away: --
When you and I are tested as if by fire, there are but two outcomes ---- 1) refinement and purification, or 2) pain, suffering, and destruction. The object, frankly, is irrelevant. It can be a forest, a job loss, a house, a family crisis . . . even COVID-19. In each and every circumstance of life you and I may face, there is a God standing by with a promise of some kind.
So, the question arises ---- am I gazing at the fire, or at the promise?
I am deeply saddened to believe that in far too many cases, followers of Christ have placed their focus on the fires and the inevitable rather than on the promises of a faithful and loving Father God. To exacerbate the problem, their doing so has even caused them to look with suspicion and skepticism at their fellow brothers and sisters who chose to believe the God of the promises -- and even worse, to look in unbelief at the God of the promises.
That is a far greater tragedy than a thousand Wallow Fires.
So, if a fire has come your way in recent months, how have you fared?
Did the fire consume your attention to the dereliction of your faith in God, -- or did your focus fasten itself on the God of all creation Who cannot lie, has never broken a single promises, and has offered to be faithful in every cause you face?
Have you been "Tried as if by Fire?"
If so, how did you come out -- refined and purified, or cynical and unbelieving?
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
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Copyright May, 2021
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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