Morning meditation

This morning in White Rock my eyes and throat and nose are burning a bit from the acrid smoke that descended on us some time in the night.  Note to self: just when it starts to cool down outside, close all the windows... But it was good to sleep in my own bed, and to be hear to pay bills and do laundry, and water my parched plants a bit. And all the news about the fire last night seemed positive: back burns west of the Lab seem to have been very successful.  God has been good in so many ways!

My dear friend Brenda reminded me of one specific way God has been good to us when I spoke with her yesterday.  She asked me to imagine what would have happened if the Las Conchas fire had hit us without the Cerro Grande fire providing a burn scar around the town.  Well, this came so fast and furious, I am sure if it had not hit up against the Cerro Grande burn area, and had all that fuel the CG fire consumed, it would have been much worse. So, once again, we see God's providential care for us where we least expected it. 

I continue to find myself grieving a bit over our losses-- loss of beautiful, precious scenery and spots we loved that will never look the same again. Driving into the smoke yesterday, and knowing behind it these precious places were burning was difficult. And it is disconcerting to have your community displaced. Having friends and church family scattered all over is disorienting, somehow.  But in this all, God is good.  We see the amazing community He has made us part of, and recognize the preciousness of the life He has given us.

The smoke is an irritant, and we'll see how we manage or if we need to head out again.  But it's still good to be home.