This pastor had been recently in the headlines not just because his house was recently on fire but more so because of his burning faith.
Sammy Smith, pastor and founder of Grace Cathedral Ministries in Piedmont, South Carolina, didn’t expect his day to turn out differently. His 4-year-old, 2-story-house was engulfed in a fire. Neighbors and the Simpsonville Fire Department came to the rescue to put it off. But while all of these were happening, Smith grabbed his phone, captured the moments, and documented it live on Facebook.
“My house is on fire. My house is on fire,” he kept on saying. Oh, my God” and “Jesus.” It’s burning up, y’all. Y’all are watching it live, just like I am,” he described. He was so composed as he records the unfortunate event. He was reporting it as if he was a news reporter documenting the event. One could not see a trace of desperation on his face. He remained composed throughout. Definitely, this tragedy is not enough to dampen his spirits.
“Never seen anything like this before,” Smith said. He kept on uttering Jesus’ name while the fire was ravishing his house quite fast. Once the fire was contained, he panned the camera and showed the people who helped them-neighbors, firemen, etc. He showed viewers the aftermath of the incident. “The house is probably pretty much destroyed. But God got us out,” he said. “And, you know, God’s will always has to be done. Sometimes we don’t understand his will,” he added. “It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you do, tragedy and circumstances can happen, you know? You just have to be able to roll with the punches sometimes.” Talk about faith shining through a very dark circumstance.
Pastor Smith went on to say that he’ll be in the church to preach that morning and that “God is good. He is blessing us. God may not be putting a blessing in your hand, but has been putting a blessing within your reach.” He said that he will keep on believing in God and will see what He will be doing from that point onwards. He asked everyone to pray for them and even quoted James 5:16 (KJV) to emphasize the power of prayers.
He said that the fire was an accident which could have been caused by a busted heater or maybe, defective electric wiring. Their church was grateful that everyone was safe and no lives were lost. “Knowing that God had saved their lives, preserved their lives that was what was important to us as a church family — for us to still have them here,” said Thomas Bell, a member of the church family. “We could be mourning now, but instead of mourning we can rejoice because we know God saved he preserved.”
The church’s love for them continues to pour as they help them with their needs. “They were bringing up donations and putting them in my hand, And I felt their love. And I when I felt their love I became a crybaby,” Smith said, “And it was something … not about the house, not about any of that stuff not about the clothes that were lost, not about the stuff — their love moved me,” he told KYFF.
This pastor has proven that one’s security and peace come from the Lord and not from people or circumstances. He still managed to smile and give an inspiring message despite the tragedy he faced and is still facing. God must have been so proud to see him still trusting him despite what happened. In every situation, our greatest confidence is that an almighty God is taking care of us.
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Psalm 23:1
Watch: Pastor Sammy Smith Preaching Live Outside His Burning Home