Up in Smoke

Our beloved state of Colorado is currently being ravaged by numerous wildfires.  From far north to far south and places in between, tens of thousands of people are being evacuated and forced to flee their homes.  A significant number of homes have been destroyed, and lives have been lost.  With the current weather conditions of extremely hot and dry days, firefighters are not only battling the flames they are also struggling with Mother Nature.  


(photo credit)

(photo credit)

The Waldo Canyon Fire is also a threat to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.  Cadets are being forced to evacuate as their entire campus is threatened by fierce blaze.

As I was driving home yesterday listening to the radio spewing more bad news with no end in sight I started to think about all of those people leaving their homes.  How hard that must be to pack up and leave not knowing if there will ever be anything to come back to.  If I was told I had 5 minutes to pack my things and leave what would I pack?

Of course the ultimate concern is making sure all of the family, including the pets, are out safely.  The lives of loved ones takes the utmost precedence.  But when it comes to belongings, the "things" that make our house a home, what would I reach for?  Photos?  Heirlooms? Would it even matter? 

I can't even think of one single "thing" that is so important to me if I never got it back I would be devastated.  The "things" can be replaced, for the most part, so apart from grabbing my purse hopefully containing my wallet and phone the only other thing I can think of is the file folder we have that contains our birth certificates, pass ports, marriage license, Baby Boy's birth certificate, etc.  Those are important items to have, right?  It seems like a trivial thing to be thinking about while all of this terrible devastation is occurring but it is still something to think about and reminds you what's really important in life.

Please say a prayer for all of those that have lost a loved one from these fires, that are fleeing their homes with nowhere to go,  for all of the firefighters battling a daunting task, for Mother Nature to send us some rain, and for the numerous volunteers and good will ambassadors that are helping in any way they can.  Please pray for Colorado.