Although fires are burning all around us - in Malibu, Santa Clarita, Canyon Country, Arrowhead, Irvine, San Diego...we are not personally experiencing anything but a brown haze gathering on the horizon and an increasing smell of smoke. We have several friends in the San Diego area (that belong to the Sovereign Grace Church in Rancho Bernardo) who have been evacuated but no word yet on how their homes (or the church building) have fared. Families in our church are standing prepared to take in anyone needing housing - but so far, no one has needed it.
The closest fire to us is the Saugus fire - about 30-35 miles to the north. We're keeping a close eye on the news and watching the progression of all the fires- but it's doubtful that it will get close to us.
One good thing we've observed as we've watched the news and listened to interviews of people who've lost their homes - is that the reality of facing trials of this magnitude helps strip away the frivolous in our lives and leaves us with what's most important. Now, on the news, we see neighbors helping one another, families grateful for the health and safety of their loved ones, and communities banding together to help the displaced - instead of stories concerned with the latest celebrity gossip.
(Photo: This photo taken from space Monday afternoon shows smoke rising from the wildfires in Southern California. Photo courtesy of NASA).
