Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You
We are in sanctuary right now, staying with our friends Bill and Kathy on the far side of town, safe from fire and smoke. They epitomize pure and holy, tried and true.
The 416 fire erupted (see previous post) and when fire stares you in the face the value of life and belongings is foremost. The quandary of to leave or stay? What to bring? Will the wind shift? In the midst of an emergency it can be difficult to think clearly and completely, to ponder the ramifications of your decisions.
Many homes had been evacuated and the pre-evac area was just a mile north of us. Should I pack?
I started to make lists. I gathered a few empty tubs and bought a few more. I packed the 'essentials'; family history, photos, important papers, medications and enough clothes to get by are a few days. This was all packed into our cars.
I had registered for Code Red which would notify us if our status changed. As anticipated, the dreaded call came and we were on pre-evac. Smoke was in the air as a sheriff drove through the neighborhood with a bull horn proudly mounted on the hood of his car, warning us of our new status level and to get prepared; "be ready to leave on a moments notice".
Staying with friends is obviously not like living at home. We are inconveniencing them, not in a bad way, but shifting their natural patterns. Our ADA home offers simplicity and Bill and Kathy's home is near to that; we are blessed. We do not have air conditioning so our house is hot and stuffy. In sanctuary the pleasure of no night time worries, 5 minute scrambles and fresh air make us feel safe and loved.
I will post this now and come back to it for revision. I wanted family and friends who are not on Face Book to know our story. We are safe. The fire fighters are a phenomenal group of humans saving lives with ever spread of water, retardant, chainsaw skill and trench built.
Bless the firefighters!