Håkan on home ground

I met Håkan the other day. Every time you see Håkan, you’re struck by the progress of the healing process in his body. He looks a little different, but you can easily recognize Håkan’s good personality and humor. After burn injuries of this extent, the joints are stiff and need to be trained in order to get their function back. That means a lot of training for Håkan every day. It was nice to sit with Håkan and share thoughts about life. Naturally, Håkan wanted to know what’s happening in the church. Håkan had many questions. We expressed how much we appreciated each other and he thought that the experience we’ve had of living close to each other in the Body of Christ is important to pass on to the next generation. We even talked about the fire. One is humbled when one realizes how everything we take for granted can be changed so quickly.

Now, four months have gone by since the fire in the Gnistes’ house. It’s been a special and intense time, for me and Elisabet, to go through this with the church, together with our church leaders. The accident at the Gnistes’ has affected us in many different ways: a family has lost their home, a badly injured father, absence of a workmate, church members who are going through a crisis, situations in the country where Håkan’s wisdom and ability to give advice have been missed, a spiritual father has been put on the sidelines. We have seen a mobilization in prayer, a corporate faith, and prayer for the Body of Christ. In all that, we’ve seen God work, and we’re working to keep “Håkan’s chair warm”.

I was glad when Buck Hudson, who visited us at the Midsummer conference, said that the church wasn’t tired, in spite of what had happened in the spring. I believe that all the extra time we’ve spent with God in prayer, in the middle of all the needs, has also given us new strength. The church hasn’t stood still, but has even moved forward during this time. We have had a good conference this Midsummer, and have four camps during the summer. A new Bible and Discipleship School will start in the fall. We need new facilities, because it’s a little crowded where we have our services on Sundays.

In every crisis there’s a possibility. Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, “Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ.” The law of Christ is that we love one another. In every crisis the possibility exists to close one’s heart and not let love work. In this situation, we have experienced many open hearts, and a lot of love that has been shared as we, in different ways, have stood around Håkan and the Gniste family.

We are so thankful for everyone who has contacted us and offered support. We see what kind of network Håkan and Gunilla have across Sweden and all over the world. The truth is that what has happened has happened, but also that when we turn to God, he can help change that which was intended for something evil into something good. Dave Richards said in his preaching the first weekend after the fire, “Don’t ask why, ask what for.” To ask the question “Why?” only leads to a dead end.

When I asked if there was anything special Håkan wanted, he looked at my shorts and said that it would be good to have a pair of those. Håkan, who loves the sun, has barely been outside to experience summer this year. But, it’ll be different next summer…

Janne Sääf