12/08/2024
A few years ago, we responded to a fire a couple of blocks down the street from our firehouse. It was 3:00am when the alarm came in and I was dead asleep. Within two minutes of getting out of bed, I was fully geared up and standing in front of a three-story Victorian house with flames pouring out of it.
Not only was the place rolling, but there was also a lady hanging out of a third-floor window. She was choking on the smoke and I could see the glow behind her. It was the fire making its way to the window she was hanging out of. If I didn’t get a ladder to her, she would be forced to jump. As the other guys went in to fire attack, I quickly got a ladder to the window, scurried up, pulled her out, and carried her down to an ambulance.
Even though I was the guy who climbed the ladder and carried her down, it wasn’t just me who made the grab- every firefighter on scene was part of that rescue! We all had equally important jobs that needed to be done simultaneously, and we all did our part to help save that lady. But ultimately, it was God’s will for her to live another day.
When it comes to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I often think about the teamwork we used on that fire and many others just like it. Of course, Christ is our foundation and at the end of the day, God is sovereign- Meaning, His will is always going to be done, but He has also given us a team and He wants us to work together.
When we combine our God-given talents and use them to shine His light on those who are still in the dark, people get saved! We aren’t the ones doing the saving, but God makes it very clear through the Bible that He wants us to be part of the process!
If you are not sure about the role God has set aside for you, reflect on your God-given gifts, pray, and read His word to find the answer. But regardless of what your gifts are remember this- whatever you've been called to do, do it out of love, His Love!
I love you guys,
Jason Sautel
I’d love to share more of the stories from my time as a fireman, including the one where Jesus rescued me, in my memoir, “The Rescuer: One Firefighter’s Story of Courage, Darkness, and the Relentless Love That Saved Him.” You can order it here ➡️ https://a.co/d/6YHlGCf.