What Do I Value?

Last night the evacuations had come within 2.5-3 miles (as the crow flies) of us, but knowing that we're in the middle of a bunch of concrete, I knew that we were going to be fine. Just in case, Mel got her stuff files together in case we had to leave in a hurry...the only smart one of the group. This morning I woke up to snow falling...I mean, is that ASH? Wow! Ash covered the ground and continued to fall all through the day.

As I got to watching the news, it made me sad to see all the homes that burned. If I had to suddenly leave, what would I be most upset about leaving? Being that I'm still young, it's amazing how much junk I've accumulated in my life. But that's all it really is: junk. I'd grab my files, my laptop, some clothes, maybe a few old books, my Bible, but that's about it. Everything else is replaceable. When I was little, our family lost everything we had in our storage unit: Mom's wedding dress, Grandad's baby clothes, antique china, heirlooms, etc... Do I store up for myself treasures on earth where fires can destroy? (Matt 6:19-20) It's easy for me to say that when I'm all warm, dry, and protected but I would imagine it would be an awful lot harder for me to say if I had just lost just about every earthly possession I own. I know several people who lost their homes yesterday and my heart continues to go out to them.

Here are some photos that I got from various news sources that tell a bit more of the story.