FOREST FIRES: a natural event that i did not think much about until these past two summers. most of you are aware of the Colorado fires that have been burning in our waterless state. last summer the Waldo Canyon fire came right on up to the city that i live in and rushed down the mountain – 347 homes were destroyed and two lives were lost. i wrote my journals of life as an evacuee here as i spent a week evacuated from my home and was lucky enough to be able to walk through the doors that i grew up in again. many of my neighbors did not have the same privilege. that day was June 26th, 2012.
less then a year later the unthinkable happened again in the city of Colorado Springs. the Black Forest fire began burning. 486 homes were flattened, two lives were lost and countless animals were trapped in the fire. we didn’t think that it could be as bad as the Waldo Canyon fire ever again – but it was. the area that burned this year was on the other side of the city – about a 15 minute drive from the burn area from last year’s fire & impacted greatly another community in our city.
<< COMMUNITY DOESN’T BURN >>
if you live in Colorado Springs you know this to be the case. natural disasters tend to do that – to bring everyone together for a cause. uniting us on a deeper, more authentic level. my office (Life Network) was greatly impacted by the fire last year as over half our staff was evacuated along with one of our two pregnancy center locations. this year it felt like the rest of our staff was evacuated and to keep it light hearted we joked that it was a requirement to work there.
community does more than just watch the news & “feel bad” for the victims – real community puts their heartfelt connection to action. samaritan’s purse is a ministry that does just that, organizes and provides an opportunity to serve those affected by the fire (or the tornado, flood, hurricane, storm). they rely heavily on volunteers from the community and they train them to meet some of the needs of those impacted by the disaster.
a couple of my co-workers & i took the time out of our schedules and volunteered to sift through ashes looking for anything left behind. the home we worked at had lost everything they owned, the old lady panicked and left with nothing – no photos, no journals from her late husband, not her grandfather’s bible – nothing. we tried to come in and give her & her family some memories back like her late husband’s coin collection that we dug up one by one. and some china she received as a wedding gift. sifting through the ash is an overwhelming and daunting task for the home owner and it is such a blessing for them not to have to lift a shovel & still get some of their memories back. all the while we lift up that family in prayer and get to sign a bible to give them when the work is done. we pray that the Lord would make beauty from the ashes – in the ground and in their hearts.
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| *all photos taken with the permission of the homeowner |
YOU don’t have to wait until a natural disaster to get involved in your community. there are so many who are hurting. who would be changed forever by your prayers, your notes, and your service. i encourage you to look for places to serve. to experience loving your neighbor by being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. – matthew 25:40
