When the Ashes Fall, Part 2
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As I drove home under the orange apocalyptic sky, I cried to God for wisdom on what to pack for our evacuation from the McKinney wildfire.
Where I had only heard silence earlier, now an impression came to call Cindy.
A few years earlier, our friends had evacuated suddenly, also on a Sabbath.
With great compassion, she said she would send her boys and husband with trucks to help us, and we could stay at her house! Tears of relief and hope washed away the fear.
Once at the house, our friends packed our computer and electronics quickly.
They even coiled the cords into ziplock bags! Evacuation luxuries that many Californians do not get, God gave us with many hands.
Soon our vehicles reflected something of the Flood’s geologic column with an emotional twist. Clothes and electronics on the bottom, followed by a layer of important papers and pictures. Then topped with random things swept from the house when rushing past an object that caught my attention—“I need that too!” After throwing an armful of things in the van, I paused to talk to our neighbor loading his dirt bike. He shared the good news from his uncle that there were more bulldozers up on the ridge, cutting a larger fire break.
Our other neighbor shared a better fire map.
More community brought relief.
We sent our boys with our friends, so my husband and I had a little time alone in the house before leaving. In the smokey quiet, peace pulsed in my heart.
God was here with me! I had feared His judgment in this fire as an answer to my prayer of surrender. Yet now I was seeing His grace in the many people helping me to be strong and save what was important to me. Just as we were leaving, the sheriff walked up and tied the orange evacuated ribbon on our door.
Later, as I lay on my ash-streaked pillow, I praised God for His goodness in making my burden light. I can trust Him with my heart—and my home! I rejoiced in God’s mercies two weeks later as we moved back into our home that God had protected.
Jessica Earl
