The headlines tell about devastation in places such as the Florida Panhandle following Hurricane Michael and faraway places like California where deadly fires have burned entire cities.

According to recent news reports, the massive fires have scorched 100,000 acres in Southern California and some 150,000 acres in Northern California.  The death toll from the Camp Fire in Northern California numbers 77, with hundreds still unaccounted for. Almost 12,800 structures have been destroyed.

People from our area of Alabama who have traveled to the coast to help residents ravaged by Hurricane Michael have said the pictures do not begin to show the full extent of the destruction.  The latest numbers of confirmed fatalities due to Hurricane Michael stands at 36.   Knowing about individuals directly impacted by these horrific events shows the face behind the headlines.

A friend locally told me what his brother and sister and their families have experienced in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.  I could hear the concern in his voice when communication lines were down and he did not know what had happened to his family members.  Thankfully, they survived, but not without damage to their homes.

Last week, a college classmate posted on Facebook that his brother and sister-in-law in Paradise, California were missing.  They contacted area shelters to no avail.  He shared another family member’s messages on Facebook and her words spoke of their family’s faith in God.

“My brother and his wife lived in Paradise…Paradise, California. I have never been to Paradise, California but the name sets up expectations. I would expect lovely scenery, a prosperous community, maybe something a little extra-ordinary. But the name no longer fits the reality. On Nov. 8th, Paradise became a type of Hell. The wildfire came with an incredible speed and virtually wiped Paradise off the map. To name Paradise now, you might choose Desolation or Destruction or Devastation. And any of those names would probably suit the feelings and emotions of the people who once called Paradise home.

“But I know another paradise that is not of this earth and it is called Heaven. And unlike any earthly Paradise, it is not subject to any catastrophe, disaster, or destructive forces. It is a true paradise. We have heard nothing from my brother and his wife. My Michigan brother said to me on the phone, ‘They may have gone from Paradise to Paradise.’  If that is so, then I will join them in eternal Paradise when my time comes. In my sorrow I am comforted (by Jesus’ words), ‘…I tell you this truth, today you will be with me in paradise’ (Luke 23:43).”

I recently read an article by quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada, who has been paralyzed since a diving accident 50 years ago.  She described the physical affliction and emotional pain that are part of her daily routine.  In the article, titled, “Suffering Helps Me See Heaven,” she writes, “Looking down on my problems from heaven’s perspective, trials looked extraordinarily different. When viewed from below, my paralysis seems like a huge, impassable wall, but when viewed from above, the wall appears as a thin line, something that can be overcome. It is, I’ve discovered with delight, the bird’s-eye view found in Isaiah 40:31, ‘Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’” 

Jan White is an national award-winning religion columnist. She can be reached at jan@janwhitewriter.com.