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8 GOD'S FAITHFULNESS 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Three times within one week this year our home was too wet for the comfor t of even convinced immersionists. Abnormally heavy rainfall persisted for several days in July, and the trickle of water that flows through a gulch nearby became a raging torrent. Clogged culver ts and roadways built with such skill served as admirable dams. The first night we had 16 inches of water in our lower apar tment where I have my study and Ann her music room. The second night, the water rose against our windows, one of which broke under pressure. Within minutes that bottom floor was inundated to within 18 inches of the ceiling. I was in Colorado Springs teaching my Young Life Institute class. I called Ann and learned our neighborhood was a lake. I drove back over roads soon to become impassable. Volunteers were operating a motorboat there in the darkness, so I climbed aboard and rode to the darkened home from which my family had been evacuated. With the assistance of friends we managed to pump the water out by four a.m. But the havoc was rather dishear tening. Ann's grand piano was completely wrecked —a picture of it appeared in The Denver Post with me standing disconsolately beside it. Everything was ruined. To me, the worst loss was my life-long collection of sermon notes, lecture materials, and some valuable books. But much of my home library had been salvaged by some hard-working seminarians. Two nights later, on Thursday, another wave of water struck, but it poured in only an inch or two; we had barricaded all the windows with sandbags. Yes, disaster brings out friends as night brings out the stars. It would be impossible to exaggerate the helpfulness of our students, faculty, fellow Christians all over Denver, neighbors, and even strangers. Slowly, we repaired, repainted, and refurnished our home. We have not bought another grand piano, but we secured a good upright, and Ann is happy to be back at her teaching. I now read with understanding sympathy that exhor tation in Hebrews10:34 (KJV) about taking joyfully the spoiling of one's goods, knowing we have in heaven "a better and enduring substance." -VCG, 1956 DECEMBER 4