March 4th 2017.  A day that started out as normal turned to chaos. My family and I were sitting on my grandparents couch in Pennsylvania when my dad got a facetime call. He answers the call to see flames engulfing our church building back home. From 9 hours away we sat in complete awe, shocked at what we were seeing. There was absolutely nothing we could do except pray. As the day went on we watched a place that we call our second home burn to the ground from behind a phone screen. Our phones were flooded with texts, pictures, questions about what was happening. We didn’t know the answers and we didn't know what we were gonna do but we did know it was all going to be okay in the end.  

After driving home through the night and getting back home at 3 am we were able to gather with our church family that Sunday morning, March 5th, in the high school auditorium.  There was a sense of hope and security in that room that day. I start off the morning by walking into the building, not knowing what to expect. The second I am there I am greeted with a hug by a lady in my church whom I am very close with and I break down in tears. The emotion of everything filled me up like I was a balloon receiving helium. In her warm comforting arms I just released all my sadness into the sleeves of her shirt through my flowing tears. I felt safe enough in her arms to let out my feelings like a starved caged tiger set free to find its prey.

A 6 foot man walking along the stage. Bald head glistening in the stage lights. His outfit matches perfectly as he is speaking to the locked in congregation. His confidence assures everyone that the best is yet to come and we will get through this time in our life where it almost seems impossible. The emotion in his words brings almost everyone to tears. We were gonna be okay especially with my dads leadership paving the way. A  week or so after the fire I was able to walk through what was left of my church building. Ashes. Ashes covered the ground. I walked through what was left of my church building. I could still smell the burnt materials. I walk up the stairs and all the memories flood through my mind. Sadness overcomes me as I realize I will never be able to attend church in there again, it would soon be bulldozed to the ground. I then begin to dream of the building that will one day sit in its place. A few weeks later we received a ton of these bracelets from a business that we had no association with that had the saying “God Is Bigger” written on it. From that day on I wear it on my wrist as much as possible and when I cannot wear it is still always with me. Black rubber with with white lettering just laid across my wrist. Such small simple words yet they have such a strong powerful impact on me. My eyes are attracted to them almost every second of the day. No matter what is happening I am constantly shown that my God is bigger than any challenges that I may face.

The reason I carry this bracelet is mostly for a reminder. My God IS bigger. He was bigger than that fire. He is bigger than my worries. He is bigger than my fears. He is bigger than any challenge I may face. My God is and will always be bigger than anything that comes my way, no matter how big or how small I will always look to him for my strength.