This past week a friend of mine lost her home to a fire. Her neighbors in the apartment complex lost theirs as well, and all of their earthly possessions were lost too. There is never a good time for a house fire, but it seems to me the holidays might be the worst time. Homes are filled with Christmas presents, decorations, and the air is filled with the excitement and expectations of Christmas. Then tragedy comes along and that Christmas spirit can be lost, replaced by a memory that will be forever hard to let go of down the road.
But, and it might be hard for these folks to see this, there seems to always be a silver lining. If one was to look closely at the situation, there should be some solace and a warmth in the soul following the community’s reaction to the tragedy. Even as the fire burned there was an almost immediate call to help those impacted. Donation efforts began, clothes were gathered to give to those who had literally just lost all but the clothes on their backs, and the community rallied to help those who sat and watched the fire take everything they owned.
I was moved by the response. Even the owner of the apartment complex offered prayers and help (as I knew they would) and the family and friends of those displaced made sure there were places to sleep, clothes to wear, food to eat, and prayers being lifted.
